


His Mercy, His Compassion

by lostmagician



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Falling In Love, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Past Rape/Non-con, Slow Burn, Teaming Up Against Kreese, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-09
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2020-02-28 17:01:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 48,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18760660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostmagician/pseuds/lostmagician
Summary: “Congratulations, you did what I always thought you could do.” The figure said in the distance, streetlight piercing through the glass door and illuminating its wide shoulders. “You won.”Johnny’s eyebrows furrowed. The voice, it was familiar, like he’d heard it many times before, and that smell - his stomach dropped - like burning grass, it slithered its way into his lungs and turned his blood to ash.(AU from episode 1.10)





	1. The Memory Remains

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: This fic deals with past rape. It is referenced and talked about at multiple points in the story.
> 
> This is also a story about our two boys falling in love, as they train together to fight Kreese. Slow burn, and lots of hurt/comfort.
> 
> Rated M for subject matter and eventual Daniel/Johnny.
> 
> The first chapter is from Johnny's POV. All the rest are from Daniel's.

“Congratulations, you did what I always thought you could do.” The figure said in the distance, streetlight piercing through the glass door and illuminating its wide shoulders. “You won.”

Johnny’s eyebrows furrowed. The voice, it was familiar, like he’d heard it many times before, and that smell - his stomach dropped - like burning grass, it slithered its way into his lungs and turned his blood to ash.

The voice came closer, “Cobra Kai is back where it belongs, back on top. Everyone closed the book on us, they thought we were done.” Johnny’s eyes widened, as Kreese stepped underneath the spotlight, lips curling into a sneer. “But now they see that the real story has only just begun.”

He couldn’t believe it. He'd thought that Kreese was dead, rotting in a cold grave six feet underground. Sid had mentioned the possibility years ago, after not hearing about him for a long stretch of time. Johnny had clung to the idea like a drowning man clings to a spar after a shipwreck. The relief had blossomed in his chest and wrapped around him like a warm blanket.

Now he could feel a chill settle in his bones, as Kreese stood in front of him, sucking on his cigar. He looked different, crow’s feet crowding the corner of his eyes, and nose more bulbous in that way that came with old age. But the weight of his stare hadn’t changed, Johnny thought to himself, as he looked into those terrifying black eyes.

Kreese fished a small metal box out of his coat pocket, and put out his cigar, acrid tobacco smoke wafting into the air. He snapped it shut with a click and approached Johnny, sound of his footsteps muffled by the padding on the floor.

“Johnny boy,” Kreese said, teeth glinting in the darkness. He raised his arm, Johnny tensed, body going rigid - and then Kreese was placing a calloused palm on his cheek. Kreese’s dark gaze roamed over his face, tracing over his features with a critical eye. When he was satisfied with his observation, he gave his cheek a few small slaps. “My, have you grown.”

The words were out of his mouth before he could control himself.

“Sensei.”

Kreese released his face, triumph shining in his eyes. “I heard that you beat LaRusso. You did good.”

His twelve-year old self would have rejoiced at hearing those words, back when Kreese’s approval was his _raison-d_ _’etre_. Now they made him feel sick. Did Kreese remember that night? Johnny scanned his face, but there was no shame there, no sign of guilt or regret.

He’d been wasted at the time, smell of Jack Daniels on his breath, and lack of coordination obvious in the way that he’d manhandled Johnny to the ground, but what he’d lost in motor skills, he’d made up with aggression. The alcohol had made him foul-mouthed, brutish, and then there was the slur in his voice when he’d growled  -

“No mercy for the weak,” Johnny rasped.

Kreese widened his stance, tucking his thumbs into his jeans pocket.

“That boy was the bane of my existence, him and that insipid mother of his. Don’t even get me started on his sensei. Did you know that he died a few years back?” He chuckled in delight. “The day I heard about his death, I threw a party. Now that was something worth celebrating.”

Johnny had also been relieved to hear about Miyagi’s death, but for entirely different reasons. But Kreese didn’t care for a reply, instead he looked around the dojo, nodding appreciatively.

He sauntered up to the wall, on which Johnny had spray-painted the motto of the dojo. Johnny watched as Kreese stroked the words with the palm of his hand. It was a possessive touch that raised Johnny's hackles - and somehow Kreese _still_ didn’t show any indication that he remembered that night. This realization coupled with Kreese’s actions steeled something inside of him.

“What are you doing here?” Johnny’s voice was low and rough.

Kreese’s lip quirked, as though he expected the question. He turned toward Johnny, his eyes flashing dangerously.

“Coming back to what is rightfully mine.”

Johnny gritted his teeth, as the first tendrils of anger wormed their way to the surface.

“You haven't run Cobra Kai in nearly thirty years.”

Kreese lifted an eyebrow. “It doesn't matter. In the eyes of the law, I will always be the true owner of Cobra Kai.” He leveled a speculative gaze on Johnny. “You're lucky I'm not suing you. The All-Valley Committee on the other hand... Well, they'll get what's coming for them.”

“No, you can't just - just  _barge_ in here and take over Cobra Kai.”

“And why is that?”

“First of all, the students see me as their sensei. They're not going to accept it.”

Kreese hummed, and he stared at Johnny for a long time before nodding slowly.

“No, of course. You're right.” Johnny breathed a little easier, until Kreese spoke again. “Let's all meet with the students tomorrow. We need to make the transition as smooth as possible.”

And then he actually looked like he was leaving. Johnny jerked forward.

“No.”

Kreese stopped, and then turned around. “What?”

He looked like he was giving Johnny a chance to take back what he said. Johnny had to tense his legs to keep himself from collapsing.

“I said no.”

Kreese walked toward him, his features set in stone. Johnny forced himself to stay still, even though his instincts were screaming at him to _run run run_ , and then Kreese was in his face, sour breath brushing against his cheek.

“I created this dojo when you were just a thought in your parents' mind. I am and will always be the real Cobra Kai. You can try to play sensei on your time off, but the truth is you will never be as good as me. You're going to set a meeting with the students tomorrow." Kreese clenched his jaw, and said through his teeth, “Do you have a problem with that?”

And for a split second, Johnny felt like he’d been catapulted back in time. Kreese had just asked him to sweep LaRusso’s leg, he’d said those exact words, and Johnny had been so shocked that he hadn’t known what to do other than obey.

He wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.

“Yeah,” he said, baring his teeth. “Cobra Kai is mine.”

Kreese raised his eyebrows, lower jaw jutting forward, and he looked like he was two seconds away from clocking him. Johnny clenched his fists, ready to defend himself, when suddenly -

There was a timid knock on the door. Kreese lifted his chin, vein throbbing in his throat, just as the door creaked open. A small figure appeared in the doorway, cast in shadow, and Johnny gritted his teeth. He recognized that figure like the back of his hand.

“Hey,” Robby said, appearing under the spotlight. He’d changed into a pair of dark jeans and a white dress shirt, his injured arm was in a sling. He looked suspiciously at Kreese, eyes darting between the two of them. “What’s going on here?”

Kreese growled in warning. “Get out of here, kid.”

Robby shrunk back, and Johnny didn’t blame him. Kreese’s entire career was built on bullying others into submission, he’d perfected his tone of command, low enough to be threatening, sharp enough to demand action. Which is why Johnny felt a pulse of pride in his chest, when Robby quickly recovered. He steeled his shoulders and pushed his chest out.  
  
“You need to get the hell away from my dad.”

He could see the surprise in Kreese’s eyes. “This is your son?”

And then he laughed, rough voice echoing in the dojo and sending chills down Johnny’s spine.

He didn’t understand the reaction, until Kreese jerked forward and rasped in his ear, “So Johnny likes girls. And here I thought you’d enjoyed our last night together.”

Johnny’s body went cold. Robby said something, but he couldn’t hear it over the rush of blood in his ears. The last time they’d seen each other - Johnny was going to vomit. He’d spent the last thirty years trying to repress his memory of that night, the pain, the shock and the confusion.

Kreese leaned back and stared at him with a ugly curl on his lips.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Kreese said, and then he turned around, heading towards the exit.

He slowed down next to Robby, who lifted his head defiantly, and then he was stepping into the night, door closing behind him with a click.

Johnny buried his face in his hands, swallowing back bile. The acrid smell of tobacco was stuck in his airway, and the scotch that he’d drank was trying to claw its way back up his throat.

Kreese _remembered._

His stomach convulsed, and then he was retching in the closest trash can.

Robby hurried to his side, and laid a hand on his back. “Dad, are you okay?”

“Don’t,” Johnny rasped, shoving his hand away.

He couldn’t handle the touch, crawling sensation creeping up his spine and settling in the base of his neck. He hunched his shoulders, wished he could to shake off the feeling, but it was lodged deep inside of him, making him feel exposed and _vulnerable_.

Robby scrambled for his phone, “I’m calling an ambulance.”

“Don’t,” he said, this time louder.

And then it was silent except for the sound of his loud breathing.

“I don’t know what to do,” Robby said in a small voice, and it’s like he was five years old again, asking why mommy and daddy didn't live together.

Johnny couldn’t deal with this, he could hardly even breathe, but then thin fingers pressed into his elbow, and Robby said in a determined tone. “I’ll be back.”

And then Johnny was completely alone. He squeezed his eyes shut, and pressed his knuckles into his eyes, so hard that bursts of white flooded his vision. His mind flashed back to that night. At the time, he’d thought he was going to die, that come morning beachgoers were going to find his mutilated corpse on the sand. He’d never been so afraid in his life.

He hadn’t asked for any of it, had just been taking a piss on the beach when Kreese had attacked him from behind. He remembered the feeling of hopelessness while it happened, and then there was the  _pain_ -

The feeling of revulsion intensified. His eyes snapped to the training dummy in the corner of the room and the next thing he knew, he was grabbing it by the base, and smashing it against the floor like a baseball bat - again and again - until the head fell off, and he flung the body across the room - and then he was grabbing a chair, flimsy plastic bending beneath his hard grasp, and hurling it against the wall - his arms strained as he seized chair after chair, destroying them one by one, the sound of their wreckage echoing in the small dojo. When there were no more chairs left, he roared and punched the wall, cheap plaster giving under his hand.

But it wasn't enough.

He could still feel Kreese inside of him.

A sob ripped out of his chest. He punched the wall one last time, and then his knees buckled and he crumbled on the floor like a pack of cards. His vision started blurring, he pressed his fingers into his eyes. He took a deep breath, and then another, he tried to concentrate on only that, and nothing else.

He didn't know how long he stayed that way, minutes, hours. He was so focused on his breathing, that his heart almost jumped out of his chest when a sliver of light spilled into the dark dojo. His head snapped up: a car had swerved into the driveway and its occupants were now making their way to his front door. He hurried to wipe his face with his sleeve, just as LaRusso burst in the room, followed by Robby.

LaRusso looked like he’d been plucked out of a celebratory dinner, dressed in a pair of black trousers and a deep burgundy shirt.

Next to him, Robby’s jaw dropped at the state of the dojo, like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. But not LaRusso - he seemed nonplussed. His focus was entirely on Johnny, small crease in between his eyebrows, and lips drooping on the corners.

“How about you go sit in my car for a while?” LaRusso told Robby, fishing the keys from his pocket and throwing them in his direction. Robby hesitated, eyes darting anxiously between the both of them. “Don’t worry. We’ll be out soon.”

Robby pursed his lips and nodded, though he kept sending worried looks over his shoulder all the way to the door. When he was gone, LaRusso stared at Johnny.

“What happened?”

Johnny got to his feet, legs shaking with adrenaline. He wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt.

“Get the fuck out of here,” he said roughly. “This doesn’t concern you.”

LaRusso raised his eyebrows. He took a step forward and pointed a finger outside the door.

“When my student comes running to my house at 8 o'clock at night, I feel like it does in fact concern me.”

But his tone wasn’t angry, just matter-of-fact.

Johnny bared his teeth. Fuck, he just wanted LaRusso to leave so that he could drown himself in alcohol. The bottle of scotch was still waiting for him in the office, and he was pretty sure there was another one stashed away under his desk.

“Robby told me that Kreese was here,” LaRusso said. Johnny’s stomach tightened at the mention of the name. LaRusso wandered over to the dummy's head and toed it with his shoe. He asked nonchalantly, “Is he joining Cobra Kai?”

“No,” Johnny said, lips twisting sourly.

LaRusso nodded slowly. “Does he want to?”

Johnny remained silent. His heart was pounding in his ears, rapid staccato pulsing in his veins. He didn’t know how he was going to deal with Kreese, he was like a dog with a bone. When he wanted something, he did everything in his power to get it.

“I’d rather die than have him join Cobra Kai,” Johnny said, and then silence settled over them, the only sound in the dojo coming from passing cars.

LaRusso dug his hands into his pockets and stared at Johnny. He worked his jaw back and forth, like he was mulling over his next words.

“You remember my wife, Amanda, right?” When Johnny didn’t nod or shake his head, he continued. “Every now and then, she’d ask me about my karate years. I’d already told her about Mr. Miyagi and the All-Valley Tournament, but she always wanted to know more. So I told her about Cobra Kai, Kreese - you.”

He drew closer to Johnny, until he was only a few feet away. “Now my wife, I’ve been married to her for seventeen years, and to this day I don’t think she can really imagine what it was like. You had to be there to know.”

LaRusso bit his lip, and Johnny couldn’t decipher the look in his eyes - sadness, pity, regret. “Johnny, I was there, I know exactly what Kreese was like. He was the stuff of nightmares. So I’m asking you, if there’s anything you’d like to talk about to the only person in this city who could understand you?”

 _When did you turn into a girl, LaRusso?_ He wanted to ask, but the words were stuck in his throat. This wasn’t a laughing matter. He couldn’t stop thinking about Kreese’s last words before leaving. _I_ _’ll see you tomorrow._

He’d be damned if Kreese took Cobra Kai from right under his nose, not after he’d poured all his sweat and blood in turning these pansies into warriors. There was no other solution but to fight him. Johnny took stock of his body; now that the adrenaline was wearing off, he could feel a dull, heavy ache spread through his limbs. He clenched his knuckles and grimaced when a sharp pain shot through his right hand.

LaRusso’s eyes dropped to his hand, and then back to his face. After a while, when it became clear that Johnny wasn’t going to answer, he asked in an even tone, “Do you have a first aid kit in the back?”

Johnny zeroed in on him. There was something about the question - it felt loaded, even though LaRusso didn’t show any outward signs that it was.

His eyes roamed over LaRusso, trying to figure out why. If karate had taught him anything, it was to study the body language of his opponent, but as he traced over the hard angles of LaRusso’s body, he was hit with a familiar feeling of _d_ _éjà-vu._ This was how he used to look at LaRusso during the All-Valley Tournament. It’s how he’d learned to analyze his tells, his patterns - and he could see them all now, LaRusso was trying to hide them, cover them up under the guise of nonchalance, but there was a crack in his armor, as obvious to Johnny as the light of day: LaRusso was nervous.

The realization terrified him, because it made this conversation much more important than he wanted it to be. He felt like he was standing on the edge of a precipice; one wrong move - one wrong answer - and he’d fall into oblivion.

Johnny swallowed thickly, and nodded. LaRusso dimpled a cheek and walked past him into the office, careful not to step on the debris.

Only time would tell if it was the right move.

It took him a while to get his feet moving to the next room, too caught up in his thoughts, and when he did, LaRusso was already rummaging through the cupboard.

“Bottom left,” Johnny grunted.

He sat down heavily on one of the chairs, legs shaking with leftover adrenaline, and placed his injured hand on the table. Blood gleamed on the surface of his knuckles, and he could see in the low lighting of the room that it had started to swell, skin turning a deep red.

LaRusso placed the kit and a bottle of water on the table, and sat next to Johnny, facing him.

“May I?” LaRusso asked, extending his hand towards Johnny’s wrist.

Johnny nodded, and long fingers wrapped around his wrist like a hot iron band. LaRusso turned his hand carefully, examining the injury from different angles.

“It doesn’t look broken,” LaRusso said quietly, and then he popped open the kit. He snagged a few cotton balls and soaked them in the water. His movements were sure and steady, as he cleaned the knuckles one by one.

A tight ball of tension was forming again in the pit of Johnny’s stomach. He breathed slowly through his nose, as he watched LaRusso apply antiseptic cream onto his thumb and massage it into his skin, the small circular movements soothing his raw nerves.

LaRusso looked up, and if he was surprised by the weight of Johnny’s stare, he didn’t show it. He paused, and grabbed a water-soaked cotton ball from the table. He held it up in direction of Johnny’s face.

“You got some blood on your forehead.”

Johnny took the cotton ball absently with his good hand, and swabbed his forehead, drops of water trickling into his eyebrow and down his temple. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off LaRusso’s hands. They were so soft and smooth, the complete opposite of Johnny’s which were rough and calloused from years of working as a handyman. LaRusso tutted and nudged his hand closer to his hairline.

“There,” he said, before returning to the antiseptic cream.

Johnny wiped a few times, a little haphazardly, and then tossed the cotton-ball in the trash can. He didn’t really care about the blood; he could deal with that later. He looked up at LaRusso, and realized that he trusted those hands. He knew the strength they were capable of, yet here they were, treating his injury like his knuckles were made of glass.

But there was something else weighing him down, and he needed to get it off his chest before he even considered going through with this.

“If there’s anybody that I hated more than Kreese, it was Miyagi.”

LaRusso didn’t look offended. “Why?”

The question grated on his nerves. For him, the answer seemed so obvious, but that’s because he’d spent the past few decades ruminating over it. It was engraved in his mind, etched in his bones. LaRusso wrapped a bandage carefully around his hand.

When he spoke again, he felt like he was jumping into the abyss. “Do you remember what Miyagi did to Kreese after the tournament?”

“Yeah, he gave Kreese what he deserved,” LaRusso said, ripping the sticky tape with his teeth and applying it to the bandage. “That guy was choking you. If Mr. Miyagi hadn’t done anything, you would have died.”

Johnny pulled his hand away. “Miyagi _humiliated_ Kreese in public, after he’d lost the championship. In front of all those people. Tell me, LaRusso, do you know what alpha men with big egos do when they feel humiliated?”

LaRusso stared at him, and slowly his eyes lit up in realization. “He took it out on you?”

There was a moment of silence. Johnny stared down at the floor, and clenched the bandaged knuckle, reveling in the pain. His stomach was twisting and tying itself into knots. He’d been carrying this secret for too long; and it had taken its toll on him. All those sleepless nights, the phantom pains, the guilt, the self-recrimination. He looked up, and LaRusso was still waiting. He didn’t need to tell him, there was no expectation there.

But Johnny wanted to.

He just needed some liquid courage first. He grabbed his bottle from the table, and downed the rest of the scotch in three gulps.

His head spun a little, when he stood up and went to the dojo. He could hear LaRusso replace the kit in the cupboard, and then the sound of his wary footsteps as he followed him into the room.

Johnny steeled himself and turned around to face LaRusso, who was already watching him with a somber expression on his face.

He swallowed hard, again and again, his tongue heavy and dry in his mouth. When he finally spoke, it was in slow and measured words. “After what happened with Miyagi, I went to the beach to clear my mind. I slept there for a few hours, and when I woke up, I went to take a piss. That’s when - That’s when I heard someone behind me.”

There was a painful lump in his throat. He didn’t know how to say it, couldn’t find the words to explain the violence that was done to him.

“I didn’t defend myself fast enough. Kreese - he was so angry - and drunk. He - he pushed me to the ground -” His fingers twitched in an aborted move; he could still feel the nitty gritty in his eyes, could still taste the sand in his mouth. “And then he - he pulled down my -” His voice died in his throat. He swallowed again, trying to regain control of his breathing. “It was rough - and it seemed to last forever.”

He could see the moment LaRusso understood; his expression darkened, and he took a step towards Johnny, the movement so jerky that it seemed almost involuntary. “In the morning, he was gone. And I never saw him again - until today.”

“Let me get this straight,” LaRusso said in a hard voice. “Kreese _raped_ you?”

Johnny flinched violently. He’d never thought of it so crudely before, and there was still a part of him inside, that was fully prepared to burst out, guns blazing, with the sole purpose of denying it until his dying breath. But it was too late now. His reaction was all the proof that LaRusso needed.

“Fuck,” LaRusso said forcefully. He covered his face with his hands, rubbing up and down. After a long moment, he dropped his hands. “Did you ever tell anybody?”

Johnny shook his head. He could see the surprise in LaRusso’s eyes, and it was quickly followed by an emotion that he recognized all too well.

A sudden wave of anger swept over him, it was so powerful that his entire body shook with the force of it.

“Don’t you fucking dare pity me.”

LaRusso put up his hands in surrender. “Sorry, I’m sorry. It’s just -” He trailed off and stared at the door, his jaw working back and forth.

Johnny knew what that look meant. He could see it in the tightness of his jaw and the twitch of his fingers: LaRusso was itching for a fight. “Don’t be stupid.”

He looked back at him, bewildered. “What?”

“I know what you’re thinking. Just let it go.”

He pressed his lips together, and his eyes dropped to the floor. They stayed like that for a while. Then, LaRusso seemed to steel himself. “Come over and have dinner at our house.”

He growled, “Did you hear what I said earlier?”

“It’s not pity,” LaRusso insisted. “Look, it’s late, and I'm sure you're hungry. Amanda made stir fry and we already invited Robby, so you might as well join us too.”

The mention of his son made his stomach twist in shame. “Robby -”

“Doesn’t need to know," LaRusso said in a clear voice. “Nobody needs to know, all right? What happened here stays between you and me.”

He relaxed a little, but he couldn’t get past the niggling sensation in the back of his mind. He opened his mouth, hesitating. Kreese was coming tomorrow, and he needed to come up with a plan - fast. But LaRusso was having none of it.

“Johnny,” he said, drawing closer to him. His eyes were two inky pools of darkness. “It’s okay. Just go, wash up, get dressed. Then, please - come have dinner with me.”

Johnny took in the gentleness in his voice, the softness of his features.

He was starting to think he’d made the wrong move.

“Okay.”


	2. Then She Came

Johnny’s eyes dropped to the floor, and his lips drew into a frown.

“I’ll go get ready then,” he said, but he didn’t move. He just stood there with clenched fists, as time stretched like a gaping yawn between them.

Daniel forced himself to stay still, but with every second that passed, the noose around his chest tightened. After what seemed like an eternity, Johnny turned around and walked inside, debris crunching under his feet. The bathroom door closed with a click, and just like that, Daniel snapped.

“Fuck,” he said, pressing his fingers into his eyes.

When he’d first asked Johnny what was going on, he’d thought it was a simple problem of ownership, that Kreese had found some kind of legal loophole to take back possession of Cobra Kai. But something in Johnny’s demeanor had set him off, made him believe it was more than that. Johnny looked _fragile_ , glassy eyes shining in the darkness when he spoke of his former sensei. Fine tremors ran through his body, so subtle that Daniel would have missed them if it weren’t for the way Johnny kept clenching his teeth, desperate to conceal them. He’d never seen Johnny this way, too used to the tough guy persona that he put on display.

Daniel covered his mouth and surveyed Cobra Kai for the first time since he arrived. Johnny had destroyed the dojo; the floor was littered with broken pieces of plastic and a thick layer of dust had settled near the walls where he’d punched through plaster. Cobra Kai's motto stood out on the white wall.

_Strike first. Strike hard. No mercy._

Daniel felt a wave of revulsion sweep over him, that quickly turned to cold rage. Kreese had always been a sadistic son of a bitch. From the moment Daniel had set foot in Cobra Kai, he’d known that there was something wrong with that man. He could see it in the way he trained his students, as if they were soldiers at war. Kreese was relentless, unyielding.

His lip curled in anger. Johnny thought that he wanted to fight Kreese. The truth was, he wanted to _kill_ him. But now was not the time to fantasize about revenge. He headed for the exit, careful to avoid the bits of plastic, and swung the door open. First, he needed to get a few things done.

Robby had popped in a pair of earphones, and settled in the passenger seat of his car. He didn’t notice Daniel until he knocked on the window; at which point he quickly removed his earphones and stumbled out of the car with a worried look on his face.

“Is everything okay?” He scanned the area for Johnny. “Where’s my Dad?”

“He’s getting ready to come with us.” Robby’s forehead furrowed in confusion. He turned to look at Daniel, and his eyes widened at the sight of him. That’s when Daniel realized that his jaw was clenched, and he had a death grip on the car door. He made a conscious effort to relax his muscles. “I asked him to join us for dinner.”

“And what happened with Kreese?” Robby asked in a guarded tone that made it clear that he didn’t think he was going to get an answer.

Daniel had meant what he’d said in the dojo; Johnny’s secret was safe with him.

“Kreese wants to take back Cobra Kai,” he settled for saying, and even though it wasn’t the whole truth, he was willing to bet his right kidney that it was part of it. Kreese wasn’t the type to just sit back and let someone else take credit for what he believed was his hard work.

Robby nodded slowly, but he seemed troubled, small crease in between his thick eyebrows. Daniel watched the way the streetlights outlined his youthful features, the bold symmetry of his straight nose and broad cheekbones, the curved line of his lips - and that’s when it hit him.

This was the age at which Johnny had been raped. The realization caused a new surge of anger to erupt inside of him. The thought of Kreese attacking a defenseless Robby from behind, made his blood boil, but there was something else too, a rush of protectiveness that he’d never felt before.

“I was so mad about the way he’d acted during the tournament,” Robby spoke, and Daniel forced himself to focus on the present. “I came here just so I could give him a piece of my mind. But when I saw Kreese, I knew that there was something wrong.” Robby frowned at the ground, and chewed the inside of his cheek. “He was towering over him, and my dad - he looked so small. And then when Kreese left, my dad just - he broke down.” He looked at Daniel. “I didn’t know what to do. I felt so helpless.”

Daniel placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, wanting to offer him comfort but not knowing whether it was welcome. His worry was for nothing. Robby immediately tucked his head under Daniel’s chin and melted against him.

“Remember what I told you about Kreese?” Daniel said, fighting to keep his voice steady. Robby hummed in reply. “It’s been over thirty years, and he still holds power over your father.” Johnny’s face flashed through his mind, the white of his eyes stark against the dark backdrop of the dojo. “But you know what? Your dad is a tough guy. Sometimes he’ll go about it all wrong, but he’s doing everything he can to survive.” He released Robby, and held him back by the shoulders. “Trust me, he’s going to keep on fighting until the end.”

He bent down to catch his gaze, to make sure he understood that everything was going to be all right. After a while, Robby nodded.

“Come on, get back into the car. I’ll be there in a sec, I just need to make a phone call first.”

Robby gave him one last hug, this time in gratitude, and then climbed into the backseat. Daniel fished his cell phone out his back pocket and scrolled through his contacts. He walked a little further away, just enough to have some privacy.

“Hey,” Amanda’s voice spoke through the line. “Is everything all right?”

“No,” Daniel said roughly. He could hear the clinging of pots in the background. “Kreese came back, and he wants Cobra Kai.”

“Did you see him?”

“No, I just saw Johnny.” He paused, unsure about how Amanda was going to react. “I invited him for dinner tonight.”

The line was silent, except for the hiss of a frying pan. “Johnny, who just eight hours ago, had his student illegally kick his son? That Johnny?”

His heart sank. “Amanda -”

“Do you even remember what happened the last time Johnny came over?”

Oh, Daniel remembered, but probably not in the way that she meant. She had interrupted them at the time; had made a snide comment about grown men and childhood rivalry. Daniel had barely held back his tongue, because the truth was he’d never felt so alive than when he was fighting opposite Johnny.

“Something happened between Kreese and Johnny,” he said, because it was simpler than talking about his relationship with Johnny, something he never fully understood himself. “I can’t go into detail about it, but for once in our lives, we have a common enemy. Johnny wants to fight back - or at least, I think he does - and I want to help him.”

“So you reached a truce,” she said, and it wasn’t a question.

Daniel thought back to their meeting in the dojo. Yes, but their relationship still needed repairing, and only time could heal some wounds.

“Something like that.”

Amanda sighed. “When will you be here?”

“Give us ten minutes,” he said, just as he heard the door swing open.

He turned around to see Johnny stepping out into the night, his sandy hair curling in wet strands around his neck. He’d kept his light blue jeans but changed into a long-sleeved dark navy shirt. The sight of him stirred a cocktail of emotions inside of Daniel: shock, anger, and something that tasted a lot like regret. It was stuck in the back of his throat, almost choking him with its intensity.

Their eyes met across the parking lot, and Daniel watched as doubt slowly crept into Johnny’s expression.

“Is dinner still on?” Johnny asked, deep voice carrying easily in the silence of the night.

The question caused Daniel’s stomach to churn with apprehension. He followed Johnny’s gaze and realized that he was looking uncertainly at the phone in his hand.

“Yeah, of course,” Daniel said quickly. He held up his phone and then slipped it into his pocket. “I was just asking Amanda to set out an extra seat for you.”

Johnny worked his jaw back and forth: he didn’t look convinced.

“Okay.”

And then he made his way to the car, like he was being taken to the gallows.

 

* * *

 

The ride was silent. His eyes darted at Johnny every now and then, but he only got a glimpse of the sharp angle of his jaw. Robby sat equally as quiet in the back, the only sound coming from the low bass of his earphones. Daniel wanted to say something, anything to break the silence, but the words never came. So he just concentrated on the road ahead of him.

By the time they rolled into the driveway, a tight knot had formed in the pit of his stomach, and it only twisted harder as they went inside. Johnny looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. Daniel was about to apologize and offer to drop him off at his house, when Amanda stepped into the hallway.

“Hi,” Amanda greeted Johnny, with a smile on her face, before turning to Daniel. “Dinner is almost ready, we set the table in the back.”

“Great,” Daniel said with a confidence that he didn’t feel. Amanda disappeared back into the kitchen. “I hope you’re both hungry for chicken stir-fry.”

“I’m starving,” Robby said excitedly.

The backyard was beautiful at this time of night. The air was hot and redolent with the smell of greenery. Amanda had even lit the built-in fireplace, it didn’t radiate heat but it did cast a soft intimate glow on the square dining table.

The kids were already seated at the table. Anthony threw them a cursory glance before returning to his gaming console. Samantha was fiddling with her phone. She mumbled a quiet hello at Daniel, and then did a double take when she noticed Johnny and Robby trailing after him.

Daniel thought that she’d be bothered by Johnny’s presence, but it seemed that her pleasure at seeing Robby trumped any negative feeling. She offered Robby a sweet smile and waved him over to sit next to her.

Daniel vowed to keep an eye on them in the future. He could tell that they liked each other, but if Robby was going to be his student, it was bound to get awkward really fast if they started dating. He sat in an empty seat, and Johnny flopped down opposite him, next to Anthony.

His son’s lips curled in a smug smile. “I see you haven’t killed him yet.”

Johnny didn’t bat an eyelash. “There’s still time.”

Daniel snorted, and Johnny’s eyes snapped to him.

“Something funny, LaRusso?”

He could deal with snark. “Yeah, the fact that you’re still calling me LaRusso. You know I have a name, right?”

Johnny raised his eyebrows, and he looked more like himself now. His voice dripped with sarcasm. “Sure, Karate Kid.”

Daniel cringed; he _despised_ that name. Of course, Johnny zeroed in on his discomfort, blue eyes fixating on him from across the table. Daniel felt like a bug under a microscope.

He cleared his throat, feeling suddenly self-conscious. “Just call me Daniel.”

Johnny didn’t reply, just continued staring at him until laughter erupted from the other side of the table, breaking the spell. Robby was performing a party trick, he was hanging a spoon from his nose and another one from the side of his cheek. Samantha was laughing and urging him to add a spoon to the other cheek. Even Anthony had lowered his console to watch the balancing act.

Despite the situation, Daniel couldn’t help the warmth that spread through his chest at the sight of them. They were good kids. He turned to Johnny, eager to share the moment - but Johnny wasn’t paying attention. Somewhere along the way, his eyes had glazed over, and he’d lost himself in thought. Daniel didn’t think Johnny even realized that he’d checked out.

“Robby has a bright future ahead of him,” Daniel said, hoping to interrupt his thoughts. He could only guess what was on his mind.

Johnny blinked rapidly, and turned to Daniel. He started to look suspicious.

Daniel leaned forward with both forearms on the edge of the table. “I’m not saying this to mess with you. I’m really serious. You saw him out there today; it was impressive.”

This time when Johnny looked back at Robby, it was with a mysterious mix of pride and regret.

“Well, he had a better teacher than I ever did,” he said it in a matter-of-fact tone. Daniel didn’t think he meant it as a compliment; it was just an observation, a statement based on his perception of what he never had. “Are you going to continue training him?”

“I was planning on opening my own dojo, actually,” he said truthfully. A look of surprise flitted across Johnny’s features, lightening quick like he hadn’t expected Daniel to be so open about it. But the cat was soon going to be out of the bag, he’d already asked his lawyer to file the paperwork. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to take on Robby as a student.”

“That depends,” Johnny said in a dark tone, that made Daniel’s heart drop. He looked so serious that Daniel’s entire body tensed, steeling himself for what Johnny was going to say next -

“Are you going to turn him into a wimp?”

Daniel’s mouth opened slightly, and then his chest was vibrating with laughter. He tried to push it down but it just ripped out of his chest, until he was laughing by himself at the dinner table. The rest of the table turned to look at him in surprise. After a while, Johnny’s lip quirked into a small smile, like he was proud of himself.

When his laughter died down, Daniel felt more relaxed than he had in hours, and even Johnny seemed calmer. He looked around the table with a light smile on his face, that slowly drooped as he counted the number of plates on the table.

“Careful, hot from the stove,” Amanda said, jostling his shoulder as she placed the stir-fry on the table.

“Honey, why are there so many plates?” he asked, nudging the salad bowl to make more space.

“What?” Amanda asked absently.

“Well if it isn’t Johnny Lawrence,” a sharp voice came from behind them.

Daniel froze, and suddenly, it became clear to him why Amanda had insisted on cooking the stir-fry from scratch. He raised his eyes pointedly at Amanda - _why didn_ _’t you tell me_ \- and she grimaced in return. He stood up quickly, and turned around.

His mother Lucille was known to be an elegant woman, but as she stood in the garden with her hands on her hips, there was nothing graceful about the sneer on her lips.

“Ma,” Daniel said in warning.

“What?” she asked in outrage. “I’m supposed to somehow forget that this is the boy who terrorized you all throughout high-school?”

“Come on, he did not terrorize me -”

“He pushed you off a hill. You came home bruised and beaten, and you _begged_ me to leave California because of him.”

“Lucille,” Amanda interrupted, placid smile in place. “Johnny is our guest tonight.”

“Our guest?” Lucille shrieked, her cheeks flushing a deep red.

“This was a bad idea,” Johnny said, pushing his chair back and standing up. The moment of camaraderie that they’d shared had all but vanished; he looked stressed and miserable again.

“Johnny -” Daniel didn’t want him to leave, but it seemed that his mother didn’t either.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Lucille asked him. She took a step forward, and pointed an angry finger at him. “You’re not leaving without apologizing first.”

“Ma, it was over thirty years ago,” Daniel said, annoyed.

“What exactly do you want me to apologize for?” Johnny slammed his hands on the table. He bared his teeth and dipped his chin in Daniel’s direction. “He survived, didn’t he?”

“Well, if Mr. Miyagi hadn’t been there -”

“Miyagi,” Johnny cut her off angrily. “Yeah, a lot of things would have been different if it weren’t for Miyagi.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that Miyagi was a good for nothing asshole,” Johnny sneered. “He never helped anybody but himself.”

“What are you talking about? He helped _Daniel_.”

Johnny was breathing heavily at this point. “Daniel was _not_ the one who needed help,” he spat out, voice cracking with emotion. He straightened himself, lip curling in anger. “I don’t have time for this shit.” And then he was walking away in direction of the house.

“Dad,” Robby called after him.

Lucille let out a frustrated sound, and turned to Daniel. “I cannot believe this man. He is just like that _rotten_ _sensei_ _of_ -”

Daniel pulled her by the arm. “Don’t you ever know when to stop talking?”

He barely registered the look of shock on her face, and took off after Johnny, who had already disappeared to the front of the house. His long legs had covered a lot of ground. By the time Daniel caught up with him, he had already reached the sidewalk.

“Johnny,” Daniel said, but Johnny just dug his good hand into his pocket and continued walking. He knew when he wasn’t wanted, but he couldn’t let things end like this. Not after everything they’d been through. “Please, I just need to talk to you.”

He put a hand on his shoulder, and in a flash, Johnny had turned around and shoved him away. “Can’t you take a hint, LaRusso? I don’t want to talk to you.”

Daniel’s heart was in his throat. “Listen, I’m sorry about my mother. Yes, we had our differences, but _please -_ I just want to put all of it behind us.”

“Why?” Johnny bared his teeth, drawing closer to Daniel. His voice dropped to a menacing growl. “Cause I told you how Kreese fucked me, now you wanna be my friend?”

Daniel recoiled. The words were so crude, and they seemed _wrong_ coming out of Johnny’s mouth. The fact that he could speak like this - it was so careless. He flung the words like double-edged swords, with no regard for himself.

“No, that’s not -”

“Did you really want to leave California because of me?”

But it wasn’t about California. It was about so much more. He could see it in Johnny’s eyes: the last shred of sanity had long splintered from his mind, and he was barely hanging on by a thread.

Johnny didn’t like his silence; he grabbed a fistful of Daniel’s shirt and yanked him closer, until their faces were only two inches apart.

“Did you?” Johnny snarled, heady smell of scotch on his breath, it went directly to Daniel’s head, making him feel dizzy.

"Yes," Daniel rasped.

Johnny’s jaw worked like he was chewing on his words. He looked like he was going to _break_. Daniel raised his hands and splayed his fingers, he didn’t know why, in case he needed to catch the pieces, but Johnny noticed. He sneered, and shoved Daniel away. And then he was walking off into the night again.

Daniel gritted his teeth. A part of him wanted to call him back, to catch him by the collar of his shirt and dig his heels into the ground. But he didn’t. He couldn’t. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he’d lost his footing and fallen into unfamiliar territory.

When he headed back home, Lucille was standing at the front door. She had already worn her jacket and was rummaging through her purse, her earrings swinging angrily with every movement. There were two high spots of red on her cheeks.

She had watched their exchange, Daniel realized. He felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him. He didn’t have time to ask himself why, because the feeling was soon buried by an even stronger emotion: white hot rage. At the sound of his footsteps, Lucille released the purse from her grip, and held her head high.

“You shouldn’t have talked to him like that.”

She was quick to defend herself. “And you shouldn’t have brought him here, not after everything he’s done to you.”

“It’s none of your business who I bring here. There are things you don’t know about, all right?”

Lucille shook her head, and when she spoke again, her voice was tight, ragged. “Oh, I know more than you think I do,” she said, pressing a trembling finger against his chest. “I see it all, Daniel. I see what he does to you.”

He pushed her hand away. “You don’t know _anything_ -”

Lucille’s face contorted in anguish. “You’ve always been so _obsessed_ with that man.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Daniel raised his voice, bewildered.

“Every decision you ever made in high school - taking karate, the All-Valley Tournament, even that blonde girl you dated - it was all because of him. He was all you ever _talked_ about. He made your life miserable, yet all I _ever_ heard was Johnny Johnny Johnny.”

Daniel was shocked speechless. He had no idea what the hell she was talking about.

A car pulled over in front of the house, drawing her attention. She pressed her lips together, and suddenly, she looked every one of her seventy nine years of age. She adjusted the strap of her purse on her shoulder and said in a strangled voice, “That’s my ride.”

Then, without so much as a goodbye, she was crossing the driveway, heels clicking away on the cobblestone pavement, leaving Daniel to wonder when his entire life had turned upside down.

 

* * *

 

That night, he couldn’t sleep. His mother’s words swirled in his mind like poison, seeping into his memories and making him doubt his every interaction with Johnny. The tone that she’d used, it was as though she’d been speaking from years of observation, and that look in her eyes - it was like she was _afraid_.

Daniel rubbed his face roughly. He couldn’t think about what she’d said anymore; there were more pressing issues on his mind. He turned over to check his phone again. The blue screen illuminated the room for five seconds before plunging it back into darkness. He didn’t know what he was waiting for, Johnny didn’t have his phone number, so there was zero chance of receiving news from him.

But he had Johnny’s. He’d asked Robby after dropping him off at his mother’s house. Daniel stared at the ceiling, scared to admit the truth to himself: he was worried about Johnny.

What if something had happened to him on his way home? What if he’d run into Kreese? And what if Kreese -

His mind screeched to a halt. No, Johnny was older, _wiser_. He knew how to defend himself. But when Daniel squeezed his eyes shut, all he could see was Johnny’s broken body on the beach. The image haunted him, and the feeling of regret only intensified the more he thought about it.

He should have _known_.

Johnny had dropped off the grid after the All-Valley Tournament. He'd stopped training at Cobra Kai, and a few months later, Daniel had found out that he'd moved to a new school. That should have been his first clue - though at the time he’d thought that he’d just taken a step back from karate to lick his wounds. Now he realized that it was more than that. Johnny had been recovering from what was probably the most traumatic experience in his life.

He’d hoped that he could redeem himself tonight, that they could turn the page and start a new relationship. But dinner had been a complete disaster.

He let his gaze wander to the other side of the bed where Amanda was snoring softly. He was so _pissed_ that she hadn’t told him about Lucille. They’d even fought about it before going to bed - _So, it_ _’s my fault that nobody likes Johnny?_ Amanda had shot back angrily - but he could see that she’d instantly regretted her words. She had witnessed Johnny’s reaction in the backyard. You couldn’t fake the pain in those eyes.

Daniel picked up his phone, and stared at the screen once again. He couldn’t go to sleep without knowing that he’d at least made an effort to check up on Johnny. A call was too personal, but a text he could do. His thumbs flew over his keyboard.

_Did you arrive ok? - Daniel_

He bit his lip, unsure about the content of the message, but it was short and straight to the point. He wasn’t going to beat around the bush. He just wanted to make sure that Johnny had arrived home safely.

He blew out a shaky breath, and pressed on Send.


	3. Smoke From a Distant Fire

Daniel’s foot jiggled against the floor, as he watched Anoush pace back and forth across the office. LaRusso Auto was being audited by an external company, and his employees weren’t too happy with the attitude of the man in charge of the inspection. They’d all made it clear that the man was as tactful as a brick.

“- and not only that,” Anoush continued, face pulled into a scowl. “Every fifteen minutes he’d ask me for a new file, and I had to go all the way down to the archives and get it, no please, no thank you -”

He didn’t blame Anoush; even Mr. Miyagi wouldn’t have been indifferent in the face of the man’s arrogance. But it didn’t justify all the horns and rattles, and it surely didn’t explain why Daniel had to spend all morning behind his desk soothing ruffled feathers.

“Anoush, none of this is new to you. You know it’s his right to ask for anything that he thinks could clarify our situation.”

He huffed in annoyance. “Yes, I understand the auditing process, Dan, but treating me like some kind of errand boy?”

“What I mean is,” Daniel continued, or else he was never going to hear the end of it. “This is not personal, the man is just doing his job. If he asks you for a file, just go get him the file. It’s that simple, alright?”

Anoush’s lips thinned as though he’d expected a different reaction, but the truth was Daniel couldn’t do anything about it. The shareholders wanted an accurate portrayal of the company’s situation. He was sure that confronting the auditor, and possibly alienating him, would jeopardize that.

“Fine,” Anoush grated out, and then he was on his way out the office. When he opened the door, Amanda was standing there with her hand in the air, as though she’d been about to knock. His face darkened, and he jostled past her.

“Hey, watch it,” Amanda called after him, but Anoush had scurried away. She flicked her thumb in his direction. “What’s up with him?”

Daniel shook his head. He’d never seen Anoush act this way; it was so unlike his usual quiet self.

Amanda frowned and stepped inside. “Any news from Johnny?”

His fingers twitched with the need to check his phone again. He’d told her about the message over breakfast. The night had somehow mellowed her out, she’d been understanding, concerned even, which only served to heighten his anxiety.

“No,” he sighed tiredly. He grabbed the inventory statement, eager to have something between his hands. “I’ll let you know if he does.”

Amanda dimpled a cheek. “Okay, well call me if you need anything.”

When she left, he looked down at the paper with unseeing eyes, unable to concentrate with the jumble of emotions warring inside of him.

He’d been on pins and needles all morning, alternating between worry and anger. The night before, he’d been afraid that something bad had happened to Johnny, but as the minutes had drawn into hours, a new thought had crept into his mind: what if Johnny had simply seen the message and chosen to ignore it?

It was entirely possible, and the longer he thought about it, the more annoyed he became. It ignited a long-buried fear inside of him, the one of being unwanted; it fanned the flames and consumed him only to be doused by the cold waters of reality: Johnny had trusted him with his secret, one that he’d never told anyone before. Yes, he was drunk, but a small part of him must have thought that Daniel would understand, or the very least that he was a man worth _trusting_.

Then why did Daniel feel like he’d already failed him? He rubbed his eyes, trying to dislodge the thought from his brain, but it sunk its teeth into his consciousness like a rabid dog. He tried to focus again on the paper in front of him -

He jumped when his phone buzzed on the desk. He leaned forward, his heart pounding in his throat. It was an unknown number.

Daniel pressed the receiver to his ear. “Hello?”

“What did you do to Sensei Lawrence?” A voice came across the line, but it was faint with the sound of passing cars in the background.

It took him a few seconds to recognize the voice. “Miguel?”

“What did you do?” He asked again, this time louder.

Daniel frowned. The accusatory tone raised his hackles. “Hold on, did Johnny say I did something to him?”

Miguel blew a frustrated breath. “No, because he’s missing.” Daniel jerked back in his chair, but before he could process what it meant, Miguel continued talking. “He didn’t come home yesterday night, and it looks like somebody broke into the dojo.”

Daniel squeezed his eyes shut, and pressed his palm against his forehead. Fuck, he knew he should have asked Robby for his home address. At least then, he would have been able to check on him with his own eyes. “He came over to my house for dinner last night, and left at around nine.”

“Why would he have dinner with you?” Miguel asked suspiciously.

“It’s a long story,” he said, as he opened his eyes and glanced at the clock. He still had two hours until his meeting with the sales team. “Where are you now?”

“In front of Cobra Kai.”

“Okay, don’t move,” Daniel told him. “I’m coming to pick you up.”

“Why?”

“Listen, do you want to find Johnny or do you still want to ask me thirty questions?”

The line went silent. “Okay, I’m waiting for you.”

Daniel shut the phone. The ball of dread in his stomach had become as familiar to him as a toothache. He snatched his car keys, and headed for the door.

 

* * *

 

When he slowed into the parking lot of Cobra Kai, Miguel was sitting on the curb, long legs spread out in front of him with a forlorn expression on his face. He jumped to his feet at the sight of him.

“Get in,” Daniel said through the window, signaling him to hop in. Miguel didn’t hesitate; he immediately climbed into the passenger seat.

“So how are we going to find him?” he asked, stuffing his backpack in the footwell.

“We’re going to check out all the bars in the immediate area. Do you have a picture of Johnny?”

Miguel unlocked his phone and scrolled through his photos. “Sensei Lawrence doesn’t really like having his picture taken.” He bit his lip, thumb giving broad swipes on the screen; after a few seconds, he made a sound in his throat. He turned his phone to Daniel. “Is this okay?”

His heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. Johnny was wearing his sleeveless black gi and kneeling on the floor in the seiza position, with his chest puffed out and the palms of his hands resting on his knees. He had his black headband around his forehead, and his face was turned to the side, tendons standing out starkly on his neck and lips parted like he was in the middle of talking.

“Send it to my number. Do you have a navigation app on your phone?”

“Yes,” Miguel said firmly. A few seconds later, Daniel’s phone pinged with a message.

“I want you to program it to show every bar between my house and Johnny’s.”

His thumb flew over his screen, and then they were on the road. They started from Victory Boulevard all the way to Sherman Way and then back to San Fernando Valley. Miguel gave him the directions, and then it was Daniel’s job to park the car, and go ask about Johnny.

After the fifth bar, it became harder not to let his mind wander to Kreese. He knew that the chances of Kreese just _finding_ Johnny in the street were very slim. Reseda wasn’t a walk in the park, it was all nooks and crannies, with side streets and back alleys. But for some reason, the knowledge didn’t make it any easier on him.

Daniel sighed, as he looked around Bert’s Corner. It was a small and grubby joint that had the smell of cigarette forever fused to its peeling walls. He’d hoped he wouldn’t have to reach this part of town; even the patrons looked sketchy, drinking vodka shots before the sun had even reached its highest point.

When he showed his phone to the bartender, the man took one glance at the photo and grunted, “Are you a cop?”

Daniel shifted on his right foot, lip twisting when he felt something soft and sticky against the sole of his shoe. “No. I’m just searching for my friend.”

The barman peered down at his clothes, clearly unconvinced, and then returned to wiping down the counter top. “You don’t look like a friend.”

He barely refrained from rolling his eyes. “Listen, buddy, did you see him or not?”

The man straightened his back and squared his shoulders.  He was a big burly man, with a glass eye and a sleeve full of tattoos. Daniel didn’t know if the change of stance was meant to intimidate him, and frankly he didn’t care. He was hot and sweaty, he just wanted to find Johnny and take him home. He was about to throw in the towel, there was another bar half a mile away, when the bartender spoke again.

“I don’t want any problems.” Daniel didn’t understand, until the bartender licked his lips and nodded his head behind him. “I saw him out back this morning, next to the dumpsters.”

His hand tightened around his phone. “You saw _this_ man?” he asked, showing him the picture again in case he misunderstood.

“Yeah,” the bartender replied, but there was a strange look on his face. He shrugged a little. “I’m pretty sure he’s still there.”

Daniel jerked back - and that’s all it took to set him in motion. He raced out of the bar, just as the bartender belted out, “It wasn’t me who did it!”

He burst out of the building and looked to the left. There was a small alleyway tucked away between the bar and the neighboring Thai restaurant. He screeched to a halt in front of it and searched past the dumpsters and the empty wine crates, until his eyes zeroed in on feet.

“Shit,” Daniel cursed, and then he was running, and falling to his knees.

Johnny was curled on the ground, with his back against the brick wall and his chin dipped against his chest. There was dried vomit all over the front of his shirt. Daniel immediately placed two fingers in the hollow of his throat; his pulse was slow but steady.

“Johnny,” Daniel said loudly, taking his uninjured hand and pressing his thumb into his palm. “Can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can hear me.”

He repeated the words three times, waiting each time with bated breath, but Daniel got nothing, not even the flicker of an eyelash. He scanned the area quickly, swallowing back bile as the stench of rotten food and urine wafted in the air. There was a broken bottle of Coors a few feet away, and a worn wallet that looked like it had been ransacked. He remembered the bartender’s parting words, and gritted his teeth.

There were no obvious signs of injury, but he wasn’t taking any risks. He palpated the back of Johnny’s head, his hair hard and stiffened by old sweat, and huffed a breath when he didn’t find any bumps or cuts. He shifted a little closer and called Johnny’s name again, tapping his cheek a little harder each time.

“Wake up, Johnny. Come on, wake _up_.”

Panic was rising in his throat, making his movements jerky and stiff. He shook Johnny’s shoulder - _come on, please, wake up_ \- and then tapped him on the cheek again, but there was still no reaction. He had to do _something_ , so he leaned forward and pinched him in the chest - _hard_.

Johnny groaned, and curled around himself.

“Sensei,” Miguel breathed out behind him, but Johnny had fallen back into deep sleep. He bent down and picked up his wallet off the ground, and then in a harder voice, “They took all his money.”

“Come on, let’s take him to the ER,” Daniel said, draping Johnny’s arm around his neck and pulling him to his feet.

“The ER?” Miguel asked, but immediately supported him from the other side.

“Yes,” he grunted, as they dragged him to the car. Daniel bared his teeth. Johnny was _heavy_ and the midday sun was beating down mercilessly on their backs. “Open the back door for me and then get in from the other side. You can help from there.”

Miguel nodded, and slowly released Johnny before doing what he was told. Daniel staggered a few steps, and before Johnny could fall to the ground, he caught him with both arms around the waist.

Daniel panted as they stood chest to chest, Johnny’s head lolling limply against his shoulder. A bead of sweat trickled down his temple and into the corner of his eye; he blinked hard and watched as Miguel leaned forward from the back seat of the car and did a give-me movement with his hands.

He bent his knees and hitched Johnny higher in his arms before heaving him into the backseat of the car. After a lot of work and with Miguel’s help, they managed to lay him on his side, avoiding any pressure on his injured hand.

When they got into the front seat of the car, Daniel’s face was wet with perspiration, and Miguel had a pinched look on his face.

“Wait,” Miguel said, grabbing his forearm before he could start the engine. “We can’t go to the ER.”

“What?” Daniel released the key and wiped his forehead with his sleeve. “Why?”

Miguel seemed uncomfortable. “He, uh, doesn’t have insurance. He missed a few payments, so they suspended his contract.” Before Daniel could open his mouth, Miguel hurriedly added, “But I can ask my mom to check on him. She’s a nurse - well actually, an X-ray technician - but she has a nursing degree, and she’s working the night shift tonight.”

Daniel sat back, still trying to catch his breath. He looked over his shoulder; Johnny’s face was slack with sleep, his lashes twin dark crescents against his pale cheeks. His heart rate was regular, and there were no obvious signs of injury. The trip to the ER was mostly for his own peace of mind, but if what Miguel said was true, he had to accept that perhaps it wasn’t the best solution.

He nodded jerkily, and started the car. It was a short drive to Johnny’s house, Miguel giving him directions at every turn, until they arrived into a small driveway surrounded by short, cream-colored buildings.

As they carried Johnny out of the car, Miguel fished the keys out of Johnny’s back pocket and unlocked door number 2.

“In here,” Miguel said, leading them inside. They dragged him into the next room and heaved him onto the king-sized bed. Daniel leaned forward and pulled his other leg and arm so that he was laying on his side. He grabbed a pillow, it was thin and threadbare, and wedged it behind Johnny’s back, as best as he could, to make sure he didn’t roll on his back.

“I’ll go wake up my mom,” Miguel said, after he removed Johnny’s shoes.

And then he was all alone in the room with Johnny.

Daniel let out a shaky breath. His heart was still racing in his chest, and now that the danger had passed, he could feel exhaustion settle in the marrow of his bones. He dragged a chair close to the bed and sat down, feeling the familiar twinge in his left knee.

He didn’t need a diploma in psychology to know that this behavior was directly related to the arrival of Kreese. Johnny was acting careless, reckless. He’d been drinking in a dangerous part of town, and he was lucky that nobody had seriously hurt him. He could see it in his mind’s eye: Johnny, three sheets to the wind, toddling his way into the alley with a bursting bladder. Anybody with bad intentions could have followed him to the alley - and they did, as proven by the empty wallet - but it could have been so much worse.

He eyed Johnny’s hand, and inched towards the edge of the seat. Slowly he circled his fingers around his wrist, and pressed his thumb firmly onto his pulse point. Johnny was fine, he was _safe_. Daniel knew that logically, the evidence was beneath his fingertip, but the knot in his stomach wasn’t easing up. If anything, it tightened the longer he stared at Johnny.

For the first time since Johnny’s revelation, he realized the full weight of the responsibility that rested on his shoulders; it wasn’t a responsibility that he’d asked for, but one that he’d accepted the moment he’d asked Johnny what was wrong.

The sound of the key jamming into the lock interrupted his thoughts, he slowly released Johnny’s wrist and pushed his seat back. He could hear footsteps in the living room, and he turned just in time to see Miguel walking into the room, followed by his mother, a tall slender woman with soft features and a kind demeanor.

She looked like she’d just woken up, eyes puffy with sleep and curly hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. She took one glimpse at Johnny, and cursed in her mother tongue.

“Miguel, get me wet towels,” she said in English.

He hurried out of the room, just as she sat on the edge of the bed and set her medical bag on the floor. Daniel watched as she checked Johnny’s pulse, and pulled up his eyelids to inspect his pupils.

“Miguel told me he woke up a little,” she said, as she popped open her bag and retrieved a stethoscope. She glanced at Daniel for a split-second, before popping the buds into her ears. “I’m Carmen, by the way.”

She pulled Johnny’s shirt all the way up to his armpits: a smooth chest came into view, unblemished except for a red blotch next to the sternum.

Daniel’s face heated. He didn’t realize he’d pinched him that hard, and the sight of it - it stirred something inside of him, a primal instinct that he couldn’t explain. It spread through his veins like wildfire.

“Daniel," he croaked.

She hummed softly, as she listened to his heartbeat. She’d noticed the bruise too, it had caused her lips to droop slightly on the sides. “I can stay here with Johnny until he wakes up.” She looked at Daniel from the corner of her eye. “In case you have things to do.”

He was so focused on the new feeling inside of him that it took him a while to register her words. When he did, he glanced down at his watch and froze. He’d sent Amanda a text message asking her to take over the sales meeting, but he’d promised her that he’d be back in time for lunch at one. It was now two o’clock.

He patted his trouser pockets and realized that he’d forgotten his phone in the car. “My wife is going to kill me. I’m sorry, I really do have to go.”

Carmen was quick to reassure him. “Don’t worry, he’s in good hands. Miguel can send you a message when he wakes up,” she said, just as Miguel entered the room. “Me oiste, Miggy?”

“Yeah, sure, I’ll text you.” He handed the towels to his mother. “Mr. LaRusso, before you leave, can I speak to you outside for a moment?”

There was something strange about his tone. Daniel nodded, and led the way into the living room. He felt a pang in his chest at the sight of the barren place. It looked more like a motel room than a lived-in apartment. There were hardly any mementos or knick knacks, just second-hand furniture and an old TV.

“Why was there a picture of Robby Keane on Sensei’s fridge?” Miguel’s quiet voice came from behind him.

He turned around. Miguel had shut the door behind him, and was now fishing a card out of his back pocket. He held it up at shoulder height. Daniel drew closer and realized that it was an old polaroid of Robby with the inscription “2010 Champs”. His eyes darted over Miguel from the angry furrow in his forehead to the slight trembling in his lips.

Daniel considered lying, feigning ignorance, but decided against it. Miguel deserved the truth.

“He’s Johnny’s son.”

Miguel’s eyes widened in shock, and the color drained from his face. He peered at the photo again as though searching for a speck of resemblance.

“Is this why -” his voice cracked, and then dropped his voice into a whisper. “Is this why we found him like this? Because of what I did?”

“No, no, no,” Daniel said in a low voice. “This is not about you. Don’t think for a second that this has anything to do with you.”

“But what I did to Robby at the Tournament -”

Daniel caught him by the shoulder and pressed hard. “Miguel, look at me.” He waited until their eyes met. “You made a mistake. We all make mistakes. It’s what you do after that truly defines you. And Johnny -” Daniel shook his head. “Johnny has his own demons to battle, and they were there long before you came along.”

Miguel pressed his lips together. He looked like he wanted to believe Daniel, but something was holding him back.

“Is Mr. Kreese an old demon?” he asked in a strangled voice.

The name caused a surge of anger so intense that he was shaking on the inside.

He asked as calmly as he could, “You saw him?”

“He passed by the dojo while I was there. Said they trained together back in the 80’s.” His eyes dropped to the floor before snapping back up. “So you know him?”

“Oh, I know him all right,” Daniel said, lip twisting sideways. “And you want my advice? Next time you see him, run in the other direction.”

“Why?”

“Just trust me on this. Kreese is not somebody that you want to mess with. He’s a dangerous man.” And then because it was the first thought that sprung to his mind, “Did you give him any information about Johnny?”

Miguel seemed surprised by the question. He shook his head mutely.

“Just -” He didn’t know how to say it without giving too much away. “Just stay away from him, alright? You and Johnny, stay away from him.”

Miguel frowned in confusion. Of course he didn’t understand, he was too young to imagine, let alone comprehend, the violence that men and women were capable of.

But that didn’t stop him from rising above it. Daniel watched as the young man seemingly made a decision. His forehead smoothed out, and he squared his shoulders, steeling himself with determination.

“Okay, Mr. LaRusso,” Miguel said, as though he’d been handed over a mission - and Daniel didn’t know, maybe that’s exactly what he’d done.

The noose around his chest loosened a little. “I have to go now. Don’t forget to text me when he wakes up.”

Miguel nodded again, and then Daniel was out the door.

If Kreese had returned to the dojo, it was because he’d expected Johnny to be there. Now that he thought about it, it was so obvious. Of course, Kreese wasn’t going to let go of Cobra Kai, especially now that there was a new generation of students on the table; they were like blank canvas waiting for the artist’s brush. It’s why Daniel had wanted to create Miyagi-Do in the first place, he’d thought he could paint them with the right strokes.

When he got into the car, he checked his phone. There were two missed calls from Amanda. He blew out a long breath and pressed his fingers in his eyes, bursts of white flooding beneath his eyelids.

There was still that weird feeling inside of him that he couldn’t explain. It was anxiety, that’s what it was. He’d thought that Johnny had died, so his nervous system was on high alert - and when he’d seen his bruised chest, Daniel had worried that he’d hurt him. It was the only explanation.

He dropped his hands and started the car. Now he just needed to wait for Miguel’s message. After that, his life would surely go back to normal.

After what happened the night before, Daniel was sure that Johnny never wanted anything to do with him again.

 

* * *

 

He received the message an hour later.

_He's awake._

* * *

 

After another fitful night’s sleep, Daniel realized that he couldn’t just lay around waiting for life to pass him by. He had to do something - and now that Kreese was back, he was infused with a new sense of purpose.

He called Robby on Saturday morning and they spent all day in Reseda overhauling the backyard of Miyagi-Do. Since Robby was still injured, he couldn’t do any heavy-duty work, so he helped by cleaning all the surfaces with a water hose, while Daniel moved objects around the garden. And then in the afternoon, they went inside and took stock of the dojo, Daniel inspecting every corner of the room, while Robby jotted them down all the tools and materials that they needed.

Everything was going smoothly until they went to the hardware store the next day, and an employee recognized Daniel from one of his commercials.

“Hey,” the man said, flashing his teeth at Robby. “You look just like him. Is this your son?”

Later, when he asked Robby if the assumption had bothered him, the young man had shrugged it off, and normally Daniel would have left it at that. But there was a niggling sensation in the back of his mind.

He watched Robby like a hawk for the rest of the afternoon, and that’s when he saw it. Sure, Robby grinned and laughed and made conversation, but there was a bleeding wound beneath the gauze. He hadn’t fully recovered from his father’s absence in his life, he’d simply become an expert at hiding his pain behind a sunny smile.

It was just something more than Daniel needed to worry about.

That night, when he felt anxiety get the better of him, he slipped on his gi and unleashed himself in the dojo; not Miyagi-Do, it wasn’t even close to being done yet, but in the dojo that he’d built at home.

He started with a few stretching exercises to loosen himself up - they were intensive enough that he could feel the sweet burn in his muscles - before moving onto the basic movements and techniques that he’d learned in his first year with Mr. Miyagi.

It felt _good_. It allowed him to get rid of all the tension that had been building up inside of him, and little by little, he was able to add more moves, until he’d waded through all twelve katas in one go. He was already exhausted from the day’s hard work, so he was surprised by his own determination.

By the end of the session, he was breathing heavily and sweating through the cotton of his jacket. He did a few stretching exercises again to unwind, and then lay down on the floor to meditate. He tried to concentrate on the sound of his heartbeat, the pumping in his veins, the slight ringing in his ears, but he couldn’t. There were too many things on his mind.

Daniel sighed as he slowly sat up. He got to his feet and grabbed a towel from the shelf, just as somebody knocked on the door.

“Give me a second,” he called out, as he wiped the sweat off his face. He glanced at the clock. “Is it dinner time already?”

He turned around and froze. Johnny was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed.

“Johnny,” Daniel breathed out, wondering how long he’d been standing there.

“I didn’t mean to bother you,” Johnny said, straightening up and dropping his arms. He dipped his head in direction of the house. “Amanda told me I could find you here.”

Daniel’s mouth opened slightly. “No, not at all,” he said, wiping his face one last time. His eyes roamed over Johnny’s body. He looked different - stubble on his jaw, and tired eyes that looked sunken in his hollow face. “How are you? I mean, have you fully recovered from…” He trailed off.

“Yeah,” Johnny replied uncertainly. He grazed his chest with his fingertips, a fleeting touch that made Daniel’s insides clench. “It’s sort of why I came here,” he said, dropping his hand. It was an unconscious move, he hadn't even realized he'd done it. “I wanted to thank you. Miguel told me that you drove all around Reseda trying to find me.”

Daniel swallowed thickly. “I did what any normal person would do. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Johnny nodded. They stayed like that for a while, standing opposite each other in relative silence. “How’s Robby?”

The question was unexpected, but not unwelcome. He’d spent the entire afternoon worrying about Robby’s situation, and a conversation with Samantha had only cemented his conviction that something was wrong. Robby had told her that his mother was out of town - and as his father, Johnny had the right to know.

“I actually wanted to talk to you about him,” he said, stepping closer to Johnny until they were only a few feet apart. “How often do you see his mom?”

“I don’t,” Johnny replied simply. “She’s always on the prowl for a new boyfriend, and she doesn’t want me to get into the way of that. Why?”

“I think you should check in on Robby.” He licked his lips and shrugged. “Make sure he has everything he needs at home.”

Johnny’s gaze sharpened. He could sense that there were things that weren’t being said. “Okay,” he rasped, and then cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’ll go see him right now.”

He peered around the dojo one last time, and then he was taking a step back - _no, no, no_ \- Daniel’s body tensed -

“Let’s hang out,” he blurted out and then his face flushed, when Johnny turned around, his forehead furrowing in confusion. Daniel shifted nervously on his right foot. “I mean, not now. But when you have time, we should hang out.”

Johnny watched him closely, and even though his complexion was pale with fatigue, the blue of his eyes was as vibrant as ever. “Sure, just give me a call.”

And it was as easy as that. They were going to see each other again. Daniel tried to calm down his racing heart, as he watched Johnny disappear into the darkness.

It was only afterward that he realized that neither of them had even mentioned Kreese.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up watching Season 2, it was so good! I loved the soundtrack too.
> 
> Though, can somebody please explain to me the "Snake-Doo" joke in Episode 2? :O


	4. What Johnny Wants

Daniel slammed the door of the car and hurried into the All Valley Sports Arena. Ron had called in a last-minute meeting with the Committee, and he’d had to wrap up a deal with a client in record time just to be able to make it.

So far, his week had been a disaster. The auditor had found an important discrepancy in their accounting, and two more employees had left them for Cole. He usually didn’t mind helping out the sales team, but when the AC unit broke down mid-week, he was already stretched so thin that he was close to breaking point. At multiple times, he’d picked up the phone, hoping to blow off some steam with Johnny, only to be drawn away by new obligations.

Ron nodded at him absently as he entered the room and then returned to the folder in between his hands. Daniel greeted the other members of the Committee and sat down next to George.

“What was so urgent that he needed to call in a last-minute meeting?” he asked in a low tone, as he rolled up his sleeves and opened up his briefcase.

“Whatever it is, it isn’t good,” George replied, scribbling a word in his puzzle magazine. “It’s the third time he reads that file.”

Daniel frowned, as he took papers out of his bag. He’d thought that his secretary had misplaced the memo, and that he hadn’t gotten the full message. Ron was the type of person to send you a three-page agenda prior to every meeting, and then make you sign an attendance sheet the second you entered the room. Daniel shrugged and turned his attention to this quarter’s car sales.

Five minutes later, Ron closed the folder and surveyed the room.

“All right, everyone is here,” he mumbled to himself, before standing up and clearing his throat. Daniel looked up, and realized for the first time that Ron’s face was drawn tight with worry. “Okay, you must all be wondering why you’re all here on a Friday evening.” He rubbed his hands together, before blowing out a long breath. When he spoke again, it was in a slow and measured tone. “It seems that Mr. Lawrence lied to us. His former sensei John Kreese is still very much alive.”

Daniel jerked back in his chair. Before he could process the implication of his words, Ron distributed a paper to each member of the Committee. “I received a demand letter yesterday morning.”

He hurried to accept it. As he scanned through the page, a tight knot began to form in the pit of his stomach -

_failure of due diligence_

_indirect liability_

_facilitated fraud_

“Is this a joke?” Sue asked, as she looked up from the paper, color draining from her face.

“No,” Ron said, lip twisting bitterly. “Mr. Kreese is demanding one million dollars in damages.”

“This is crazy,” Daryl exclaimed, as though he read Daniel’s mind. “Just because we had one tournament with Cobra Kai?”

“It turns out Johnny was never the true owner of Cobra Kai,” Ron said, leaning back against the edge of the table and crossing his arms tightly over his chest. “He’s been running the dojo illegally since the start. We should have checked the facts before allowing him to compete in the Tournament.” Ron shook his head slowly. “It seems that Daniel was right. We never should have trusted that snake.”

Daniel blinked hard. Is that really what he’d said? He stared at the paper with unseeing eyes, and realized how foolish he’d been. He’d been so wrong to blame Johnny for all his woes. His flaws _paled_ in comparison to the harsh reality of Kreese’s actions.

Darryl scoffed in disgust. “Then why isn’t Johnny the one getting sued?”

“Maybe he already is,” Ron said, and the speculation caused Daniel’s breath to feel trapped in his lungs.

“So what do we do now?” Sue asked.

Ron sighed tiredly. “Well, first we need to get ourselves a good lawyer.”

The paper crumpled under Daniel’s fingers, snapping him out of his trance. “You can’t be serious.”

“As a matter of fact, I am,” Ron replied calmly.

Daniel slammed his fist on the table. “Ron, this is a shakedown. It’s nothing more than a _bluff_.”

“You’re only saying that because you have history with Mr. Kreese. But it is my opinion that we should answer this letter as fast as possible or else -”

“Or else what? He’ll _sue_ us?” Daniel spat out, before gritting his teeth. “I’d like to see him try.”

“It would be my pleasure,” a velvety voice said from the other side of the room.

Daniel shot to his feet, all the blood in his body rushing to his legs, leaving him dizzy and lightheaded. Kreese stood at the other end of the room with his hip cocked against the doorway.

He was a relic from the past, dressed in his sleeveless black shirt and jeans with a head chock full of mousy hair. He shifted on his feet and strutted in with the boldness of tempered steel, beady eyes moving around the room, taking in the details of each occupant before settling on Daniel.

“It seems I interrupted you,” he said, and that _voice_ \- it was so familiar to Daniel, so recognizable it was like hearing his own mother’s voice. Kreese waved a hand in his direction. “Please, do go on.”

Daniel clenched his fists. Now, looking at him and knowing what he’d _done -_ he tensed his legs and bolted them to the ground, because he didn’t think he could control himself. All he wanted to do was wrap his fingers around that wrinkly neck, jam his thumbs into his windpipe and squeeze his palms with every fiber of his being. He could picture the scene so clearly in his mind, so vividly, that he had a mental whiplash when he jolted back to reality.

“Get out,” Daniel growled.

Kreese’s lips stretched into a smile, the lines of his weathered face chiseling deep into his flesh, like a grotesque mask of friendliness. When he didn’t move, Daniel circled around the table until he was a few feet away from Kreese. His voice dropped menacingly, “I said get out.”

Ron cleared his throat. “Okay, I think we need to calm down -”

“No, no,” Kreese said coolly, his eyes never leaving Daniel. “Mr. LaRusso is angry with me. I understand. But me leaving the building is not going to make this case go away.”

“This _case_?” Daniel repeated mockingly. He grabbed a file from the table and waved in Kreese’s face before flinging it to the floor. “This case is a joke. There’s no way any judge will take this seriously.”

“Oh, but they will,” Kreese rasped, and then in a scathing tone, “You see, I served my country for twenty-five years, and I have a Silver Heart that’s shinier than the sweat on your forehead. I return home from combat - expecting to sink back into domestic bliss - and what do I find? That my dojo has been taken over by a high-school dropout? And the All Valley Committee, the epitome of athletic righteousness, _allowed_ him to compete in one of the most prestigious tournaments of this state?”

Daniel exhaled shakily. His mind raced with all the new information, but it was too much, and _none_ of it made any sense. He shifted on his right foot. A niggling thought was gnawing at the back of his mind, yapping for his attention.

He shook his head slowly. “No, that’s not why you’re doing this.”

“It’s not?” Kreese asked sarcastically.

It was all clear to him now. He knew why Kreese was doing this. It was because of him. _He_ was the reason that Cobra Kai had been banned in the first place. It was Kreese’s way of taking revenge on him, his way of punishing Daniel for that fight thirty years ago.

“You just can’t handle the fact that I beat Mike Barnes fair and square,” Daniel said in disbelief.

Kreese’s face hardened, which only proved him right. An idea was budding in his mind - a twisted, crazed, but perfectly possible idea. He tried to push it down, but it only came out stronger the longer he looked at Kreese.

“You know what…” Daniel rubbed his mouth with the palm of his hand, before dropping his arm and steeling himself. “Let’s settle this like men.”

Kreese lifted his chin, and his eyes flashed dangerously. “Are you challenging me to a fight?”

“Isn’t that what you want?” Daniel asked, throwing his arms out. “Come on, you and me, let’s do this.”

Kreese’s eyes ran over his body with a deftness that spoke of experience, it started on his torso and then descended all the way down to his feet. Daniel felt a crawling sensation scuttle down his spine.

“Alright,” Kreese said slowly. “Here, at the Arena.”

“In one month.”

“Two weeks,” was his swift response.

Daniel’s jaw jutted forward. Two weeks was too little time to train, but he didn’t exactly have any leverage here, and Kreese knew it. He was going to have to find a solution with Amanda.

“Fine, but if I win this fight -” he bared his teeth, “I never want to see you in California again.”

Kreese didn’t say anything, just continued staring at him with slightly narrowed eyes.

Ron’s voice interrupted them. “Mr. Kreese, if you agree to these terms, then we can proceed this way.”

But Daniel didn’t like the expression that gradually bloomed on Kreese’s face. He looked like the cat who’d caught the canary. “I agree to the terms, but I have another condition of my own.”

Kreese approached him in a series of slow and steady steps, until Daniel could feel his sour breath brush against his cheek.

“If I win, you’re never allowed to do karate again.”

 

* * *

 

It’s all he could think about that weekend. He scheduled a video call with his lawyer, who told him that Kreese had a very good case. It was within his right to sue the All Valley Committee, they never should have allowed Cobra Kai to compete in the Tournament.

It also meant that Daniel didn’t have any other choice but to tell Johnny.

He thought of the different places where they could meet. He didn’t want to ambush Johnny at his house, make him feel like he was cornered - and inviting him to a bar was out of the question. So he called him and suggested the only activity that ticked all the right boxes: jogging.

The line went silent, Daniel’s grip on the phone tightening with every second that passed by.

“Okay,” Johnny’s deep voice replied, and Daniel sighed in relief.

They set up to meet at 7 am, so the sun was still low in the sky when Johnny knocked at his house the next morning.

“Hey, could you just hold on a second?” Daniel said, circling his fingers around his wrist. “I forgot something.” Before Johnny could reply, he dashed back inside and grabbed his bracelet from the console.

“What’s that?” Johnny asked, squinting suspiciously when Daniel emerged from the house. The sunlight filtered through his hair, casting a golden-colored halo around his head.

“It’s a smart watch,” he said, snapping it around his wrist.

“A smart watch?” Johnny said, and the way the words rolled off his tongue was mesmerizing. He made it sound like a foreign language.

“Yeah, it tracks how many steps you run.”

Johnny frowned like the concept was crazy.

“I thought we could run through Beilenson Park. That sound good to you?”

“Sure,” Johnny said easily.

He didn’t know if Johnny was used to running long distances, so he picked a straightforward path that consisted of mostly flat terrain interspersed with low, rolling hills.

It’s only after they completed the first mile that Daniel realized how much he’d underestimated Johnny. It shouldn’t have come to him as a surprise - that day in the alley, he’d felt the muscle beneath his fingertips, he’d seen the tendons in the space where his neck met his shoulders. The man was in good shape, and it wasn’t just because of karate. Daniel darted a quick look at Johnny. He must have been a runner at some point, because he even breathed correctly, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.

Daniel returned his attention to the path ahead. The dew from the crisp summer night hadn’t fully evaporated from the warmth of the day, so dampness crept into his shoes with every footfall against the hard earth. And the fresh air was _liberating_. He felt his lungs expand with every breath, and for a moment, he could imagine himself unburdened by Kreese, and the fight that was yet to come.

He didn’t realize that he was slowing down until Johnny brought it to his attention. “Come on, shorty,” he panted, and then raced ahead of him.

Daniel stared dumbly at Johnny, his long legs rapidly gaining ground.

“We’re almost the same height,” he called out after him, and rushed to keep up with his pace.

They ran until they reached the edge of the park, and Bilboa Lake spread out like a sea in front of them.

“Okay, let’s stop here,” Daniel said in between breaths.

Johnny slowed down, panting, with his cheeks red from exertion. He flopped down on the ground and leaned against the big trunk of an oak tree.

Daniel removed his backpack and took out two small bottles of water. He threw one in direction of Johnny, who caught it in midair, and then sat down carefully on a patch of grass.

“Have you been running for long?” Daniel said, watching the flutter in Johnny’s throat as he gulped down water.

Johnny wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and tilted his head. “It’s the cheapest sport there is.”

It made sense; you didn’t need any equipment to run, just a good pair of running shoes. Daniel scratched at the label on his bottle, as he realized once again that there were still a lot of things he didn’t know about Johnny’s situation.

“Robbie moved in with me,” Johnny said out of the blue.

Daniel looked up in surprise. “When?”

“Last Sunday,” Johnny replied, and then he must have anticipated Daniel’s next question because his lips twisted wryly. “His mother is in Mexico with her new boyfriend.”

“It’s a good thing you were there for him then.” He waited a few seconds before asking, “Are things going well?”

Johnny shrugged. “It took a little getting used to at first…” He trailed off, before snorting to himself. “I was mostly worried about Miguel meeting him. But I’ve invited him over twice already and they haven’t maimed each other yet, so that’s a win in my book.”

He didn’t mention if Miguel was surprised to find out that Robby was his son, but Daniel flushed all the same. He’d been the one to divulge that little secret, hadn’t he? Terrified that the truth was written all over his face, he raised his eyebrows and clutched at his chest. “So you’re saying high-school rivals _don_ _’t_ need to wait thirty years to forgive each other and reach some kind of semblance of friendship?”

It was just a stupid joke, a way for him to cover up his discomfort. So he didn’t expect for Johnny’s entire face to transform the way it did: the corners of his mouth pulled up around perfect white teeth, and his chest shook silently with every exhale.

He was _laughing_.

Daniel was transfixed by the sight.

“Whatever you say, Danielle,” Johnny said, but there was still a lingering smile on his face.

After that, something loosened inside Daniel’s chest. As they left each other to their own thoughts, he geared himself to dive into the heart of the matter, the reason why he’d invited Johnny out for a jog in the first place.

“If you go a little south of here, there’s this place called Coyote Creek,” Johnny said, and Daniel peered up at him. He was staring off into the distance with a crease in between his eyebrows. “Kreese used to take us there every month to train.”

He went silent. It was Daniel’s opening, the perfect moment for him to bring up the Committee meeting, the demand letter, the fight. He took a deep breath, but before he could say anything, Johnny started talking again.

“During winter, he used to order us to strip down to our boxers - and then make us run across the creek. He’d be right in front of us, in his fleece pants and sweater, and we’d just follow him - like plucked chickens.” Johnny scoffed, before taking another swig of water. “What an asshole.”

Daniel’s nostrils flared. _Asshole_ didn’t even cut it. He distracted himself by fiddling with the bottle cap. Now was not the time to fly off the handle.

Johnny stretched his legs in front of him and crossed them at the ankle. “So, are you going to tell me why you brought me out here?”

Daniel’s shoulders hunched. _Of course,_ Johnny thought there was an ulterior motive. He wished fiercely that he could prove him wrong, that he could wipe off that guarded look of his face. But he had to tell him about Kreese, and as much as he prided himself on being tactful, he didn’t think Johnny would appreciate him beating around the bush.

“Kreese visited the Committee on Friday.”

The bottle crackled under Johnny’s tight grip, and then Daniel was telling him the whole story from the beginning. He tried not to leave anything out. He even went into detail about his fantasy of lunging across the table and strangling Kreese. Johnny listened attentively, not once interrupting him.

“- and this could be our last chance to get rid of Kreese,” Daniel said, in case Johnny didn’t understand the seriousness of the issue. “If I win, he’ll leave California - permanently.”

Johnny remained still, frowning at the ground as he processed the information. When he spoke, only his lips moved. “And if he wins?”

Thank God Johnny wasn’t looking at him, because he didn’t think he could handle those eyes drilling holes into him. “We’ll have to find ourselves a good lawyer.”

And technically it was true. Johnny didn’t need to know about Kreese’s other condition.

He nodded slowly, but Daniel couldn’t tell what was going on in his mind, his smooth mask had fallen back into place. He knew it was a lot to take in, so he waited patiently on the sidelines.

His heart picked up when Johnny finally stood up and wiped the leaves off his jogging pants. “You don’t have what it takes.”

He frowned in confusion. “What?”

“Don’t get me wrong. You’ll make a worthy opponent, but you won’t beat him,” he said with absolute certainty.

Daniel stared at him. When it became clear that it wasn’t a joke and that Johnny wasn’t going to apologize, a thread of anger started to stir inside him. It seeped through his chest like an open wound, and he embraced the familiarity of it. Who was _Johnny_ to say that he wasn’t good enough to fight Kreese? Daniel was the one who’d won the Tournament two years in a row. He got to his feet and swung his backpack over his shoulder.

“Would you rather I lie to you?” Johnny asked with his arms splayed outward. “You want a semblance of a friendship; this is what it looks like.”

The fact that he would _use_ his words against him - Daniel saw red. He threw his bag to the ground and drew closer to Johnny, pointing a finger at his chest. “No, this is you being bullheaded, okay? Don’t forget that I kicked your ass in ‘84, and I can kick your ass again.”

“Yeah?” Johnny said, stepping forward until his chest nudged against Daniel’s finger and their faces were only a breath apart. His eyes were as blue as the sky hanging above their heads.

It took Daniel a split-second to notice the arm swinging at him - his eyes widened and he jerked back, Johnny’s knuckles grazing his cheek.

“What the -” but he didn’t finish his sentence, because Johnny was aiming a right hook at his face. Daniel blocked it, but then another left hook, then right again, Johnny kept advancing, pushing him further back with every strike.

Daniel tried to throw a front kick to ward him off, but he was too close, Johnny easily thwarted him before pursuing the onslaught. Daniel ducked and shoved him in the chest, Johnny tittered a few steps back - and quickly, Daniel turned on his left heel and raised his right foot to deliver a side-kick _._ Just as he was about to connect, Johnny grabbed him by the foot and _pulled_ \- Daniel grunted, his left knee trembling with the force of it, and then he was being slammed to the ground.

His vision blacked out for a second, and it returned just as Johnny braced a forearm against his chest. He tried to buck him off, but Johnny growled and pressed down harder -

“Kreese - _shows no mercy,_ ” Johnny said, teeth baring in anger. “You think he didn’t realize you have a weak knee?”

Daniel stopped struggling. No, he couldn’t know, it was _impossible_ -

“I could tell the moment I saw you at LaRusso Auto,” Johnny said in a quieter voice, and the revelation knocked the wind out of him.

The truth was that Daniel had never fully recovered from that sweep at the All-Valley Tournament; and a badly healed injury coupled with old age meant that he didn’t have full flexibility in his leg anymore. He could run and fight - but it just wasn’t the _same_.

They stared at each other for a long time, Johnny’s warm breath against his face, as he soaked in Daniel’s reaction with every bat of his eyelashes. Daniel exhaled slowly through his mouth. He was feeling a little lightheaded from the closeness, and he was sure that Johnny could feel his heart pounding against his arm.

And then the pressure on his chest subsided. Johnny stood up and seemed to hesitate a little, before he extended a hand towards him.

Daniel took a moment to steady himself, and then grabbed the hand with trembling fingers, pulling himself to his feet. “What gave it away?”

Johnny’s eyes traveled down his body, but instead of feeling revulsion like he did with Kreese, Daniel’s skin went hot all over. “You lean in on your right leg more than your left.”

He blew out another shaky breath and rubbed his forehead with the back of his wrist. His heart was still beating wildly in his chest.

“You won’t be able to beat Kreese,” Johnny said again, but this time, it stung less. He stepped closer to Daniel and squared his shoulders. “But I can.”

Daniel’s head whipped up. “No,” he said in a hard voice. The mere suggestion filled him with indignation. “There’s no way in hell. The only reason Kreese is doing this is because I’m the one who got him banned thirty years ago.”

“And I can’t risk you losing,” Johnny replied loudly. “I’m not taking any chances. Kreese isn’t going to hesitate a second before aiming for your leg.”

He gritted his teeth, because he knew that Johnny was right. He remembered the fight with Mike Barnes: Kreese and Silvers had pulled every trick in the book, even when they knew it could cost them the championship.

“Anyways you have a job and a family. All I have is Cobra Kai, which I don’t think I’ll be able to open anyway. Not until this whole issue with Kreese is resolved.”

“And what makes you so sure that he’ll agree?” Daniel asked, and it felt like he was grasping at straws. “It’s unheard of for a student to challenge his sensei.”

“He’ll agree,” Johnny answered simply.

“How do you _know_?”

Johnny’s lips twisted in a humorless smile. “Because he’ll do anything to prove that he’s still stronger than me.”

Daniel ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head. It was never his intention to shift the responsibility onto Johnny. That wasn’t why he’d told him about the fight in the first place.

“Come on,” Johnny said. “You have until the end of the jog to think about it.”

Despite himself, he nodded and grabbed his bag. They took it slow at first, warming up their muscles, before returning to full speed. Daniel was so focused on his own thoughts that he relied entirely on muscle memory to lead them back home.

The only thing he knew for sure was that Kreese brought up a dark side in Johnny.

It manifested itself in a dismal combination of violent outbursts and reckless binge-drinking sessions. Daniel understood why to a certain extent. What happened to Johnny was _horrible_ \- he'd been betrayed by the person that he trusted most in this world, and it had left long-lasting scars on him.

So how was Daniel supposed to interpret Johnny’s decision to fight Kreese? Was it just another notch in a long series of self-destructive behavior?

Did Johnny _realize_ what he was getting himself into? Did he think he could handle it?

Daniel examined him from the corner of his eye, and what he saw only confirmed his suspicions: Johnny's eyebrows were deeply furrowed, and his mouth pulled in a tight frown.

It didn’t sit right with Daniel. He didn’t think he could change Johnny’s mind, but he was sure as hell he could support him.

“Hey,” Daniel said in between breaths, and when Johnny didn’t hear him, he tapped him on the arm. “Hey, wait a second.”

They slowed down until they stopped under a bushy tree. Daniel took a few seconds to catch his breath.

“If Kreese accepts,” he said, and then waited until Johnny looked him in the eye. “We train together, every day - you and me. I have a fully equipped dojo, where you won’t have to worry about anything other than the fight, alright?”

 _You also won_ _’t have to worry about Kreese showing up out of the blue,_ he thought but didn’t say.

Johnny placed his hands on his hips and pursed his lips like he was considering the suggestion. He didn’t seem crazy about the idea, but after what felt like an eternity, he nodded tightly.

When they jogged again, Johnny's shoulders were a little less hunched and his feet didn’t drag as much.

 

* * *

 

After the jog, they went their separate ways. Daniel returned home, showered and had breakfast. He called Ron on his way to the office and asked him to relay the message to Kreese.

He received an answer that afternoon while he was going over the monthly report with his sales team.

“He accepted?” Daniel asked in disbelief. “He wants to fight Johnny at the Arena?”

“Yeah, he was really into the idea actually. But Dan, it’s still the same offer. If Johnny loses, you can no longer do karate and you’re going to have to leave the Committee.”

Daniel bit his lip. Either Kreese thought that Johnny was going to lose, or he was a little too excited to get close and personal with him again. Neither were good news.

Now that Ron didn’t have a potential lawsuit dangling over his head, he was talking excitedly again. It took Daniel a while to get his mind back on track.

“- and can you imagine how many tickets we’re going to sell? It’s going to be _incredible_ -”

Daniel could practically see the dollar signs in his eyes.

“Okay, Ron,” he cut in as soon as there was lull in between two words. “I’m sorry, I’m in a meeting. I got to go.”

When he shut the phone, he pressed his fingers to his mouth and stared outside the window. Johnny was right. Kreese hadn’t hesitated at all. Daniel thought that he would have at least put up a fight. Wasn’t Daniel the one who’d gotten him banned in the first place?

 _But Johnny was the one who_ _’d lost him the championship,_ a little voice said inside of him.

Daniel’s mind flashed back to that night in the parking lot of the All-Valley Arena. He still had chills whenever he remembered Johnny, with his red leather jacket and tousled sandy hair. He was still a boy on the cusp of adulthood, but that night, Daniel had seen a glimpse of the man that he was going to become. Johnny’s voice, his stature had left him in awe. He was taking a stand against Kreese and everything that he represented. So when Kreese had wrapped an arm around Johnny’s neck, Daniel’s heart had stopped.

He often wondered what he would have done if Mr. Miyagi hadn’t been there. Would he have stayed frozen in shock?

He picked up his phone and typed out his message.

_Kreese said yes. When do you want to start training?_

Daniel chewed the inside of his cheek. He’d been the one to suggest it, and Johnny had given him mixed signals. He pressed on Send.

A small part of him didn’t think he’d get an answer.

He raised his head to return to the discussion at hand, something about last year’s annual revenue, when his phone pinged.

_Tomorrow_

Daniel smiled at his phone. He hurried to type a reply.

_Great. Let's meet at my house tomorrow at 8 am. Bring your gi and 2 change of clothes._

Ping.

_Ok_

 

* * *

 

Daniel hadn’t told Amanda. He’d been waiting to receive a final answer from Kreese.

To be honest, he’d expected her to hit the roof, which is why he was surprised when her reaction could only best be described as lukewarm.

“So, they’re just going to fight it out?” she asked with a small crease in between her eyebrows. It was late at night, and she was folding laundry on the bed.

“Yes,” Daniel said softly. Then, he hesitated a little. “I promised Johnny I’d help him train. I was planning on taking a few days off work, but with everything that’s happening - Tom and Anna leaving us, the audit - I don’t know. I guess I was hoping we could find a way to make things work.”

Amanda’s eyes had glazed over, as she sat staring at a fixed point on the floor. She blinked rapidly. “No, no, don’t worry about it. I can deal with the audit, and as for the others -” She blew out a harsh breath, and then straightened her shoulders like she was steeling herself. “I actually promoted Anoush today.” Daniel’s eyebrows flew up, and Amanda’s face crumpled in apology. “I know, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. It’s just that we’ve been promising him a promotion for months now, and it’s about time we give it to him.”

“No, no you’re right,” Daniel said slowly, as he placed a palm on the back of her hand. “We should have done that a long time ago.”

Amanda dimpled a cheek. “And don’t worry about Tom and Anna, we already have four job interviews lined up this week.”

He sighed in relief and kissed her firmly on the lips. “You’re amazing.”

“I know,” she replied cheekily. She grabbed the last item from the pile and folded it quickly. “I guess Johnny just really struck a chord with you, huh?”

Daniel didn’t know what to make of the comment. Before he could ask, she patted him on the hand and left the room with her basket of neatly-folded laundry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your encouragement! You guys are what keep me going.


	5. Peace and Tranquility

“So you’ve already seen the dojo,” Daniel said, leading Johnny through the door.

Johnny stepped inside, eyebrows flying up at the sight of the room. “It looks different,” he said, laying his duffel bag on the floor and tucking his thumb into his pocket. He looked like he’d been cut out of an 80’s magazine with his faded denim jeans and white cotton t-shirt.

Daniel flushed as Johnny walked across the room and inspected the new dummy that had appeared overnight. The truth was that Daniel had woken up at three o’clock in the morning, possessed with the overwhelming urge to fix up the dojo. He’d rummaged through the garage and hauled in anything that he thought could benefit them during training.

“There’s also a box full of small exercise equipment, if you need it,” Daniel said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Johnny nodded, looking curiously around the room. “Is there somewhere I can change?”

“Of course.” Daniel dropped his hand and waved him further inside. “Bathroom’s on the left over there, and there’s a small kitchenette all the way inside with a mini-fridge. It’s fully stocked.” He’d even put in last night’s leftovers, in case Johnny hadn’t brought his own lunch. “I, uh, need to make a couple of phone calls for work. So how about you get started without me?”

“Sure,” Johnny said, seemingly distracted by the tapestry on the wall. “Take your time.”

Daniel took a step back. He didn’t want to leave, he wanted to make sure that Johnny got settled in. But he didn’t have a choice, he needed to get some work done first.

He used the connecting door and grabbed a banana from the kitchen before heading upstairs. As he sat in his desk chair, he realized how glad he was that Amanda had promoted Anoush, because at least now Daniel didn’t have to worry about micro-managing the workplace. Anoush knew the job inside out, and he had enough seniority to manage the sales team without Daniel’s constant presence. It was also the perfect chance for Amanda to concentrate more on the audit.

He turned on his laptop and made a mental list of all the people he needed to call. It took longer than he expected, and halfway through a video call with a branch manager, he received a text message from Ron.

_Mark your calendar! The big fight is Saturday 14th at 6 pm. Tickets are already selling like hot cakes._

Daniel’s heart jolted in his chest. That meant there were only eleven days until the fight. Feeling a new sense of urgency, he returned to the conversation at hand; by the time he’d contacted every person on the list, it was already nine o’clock. He hurried to change his clothes and went back downstairs.

When he walked through the door, his pace faltered at the sight that greeted him. Johnny had dressed in his sleeveless black _gi_ and was skipping rope, the muscle in his biceps bulging with every twist of his wrists. He didn’t hear Daniel at first over the low thrum of the leather whipping through the air. Daniel swallowed the lump in his throat and trod in as lightly as he could. When Johnny finally noticed him, he stopped abruptly and folded the rope back into the box.

“Don’t let me interrupt you,” Daniel said quickly.

“I was done,” Johnny replied, as he grabbed a towel and wiped his flushed cheeks. “How do you want to do this?”

“I thought we could start with a little one-on-one.”

Johnny nodded, and drank some water. He looked like he needed a few minutes to cool down, so Daniel did a few stretching exercises to pass the time. He tried to ignore the way his stomach was twisting itself into knots. The impromptu battle in the woods had happened so fast, he hadn’t had time to think beyond what his next move was going to be. But this one-on-one right here, he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about it all night.

“Okay, let’s do this,” Johnny said, walking to the center of the dojo.

Daniel wiped his palms on the cotton of his pants and followed suit. He positioned himself across from Johnny, and they bowed down to each other.

It started tentative, as they circled each other like opposing magnets. They studied each other from a distance, Johnny’s eyes daring him to strike first.

When Daniel finally threw the first punch, Johnny blocked him with his forearm before counterattacking with a hand strike of his own. And that’s how they sparred for a while, dancing around each other like a perfect choreography.

Daniel kept waiting for his nervousness to turn into exhilaration, for electricity to burst in the space between them and make his hairs stand on end. But it never happened. There was something missing, and he couldn’t put his finger on what it was.

It’s only when Daniel blocked an upcoming elbow strike that he realized what was wrong: Johnny was telegraphing his every move.

“Come on, you’re not giving me everything you’ve got,” Daniel said, as they circled each other again.

Johnny threw a roundhouse kick, and Daniel could see it coming a mile away. He blocked it with his knee, and managed to retaliate with a jumping front kick to Johnny’s chest.

“You think Kreese is gonna go easy on you?” Daniel taunted him, and he knew it wasn’t the right thing to say. But Johnny was holding back, and he wanted to know why.

Johnny took the bait. He grunted and swung his arm, grazing Daniel’s shoulder, but it still _wasn_ _’t enough._ It was a flimsy excuse of an attack. Daniel frowned in bewilderment, and threw out his hands to form a T-shape.

“Okay, time out,” he said, and Johnny dropped his arms. They weren’t even winded. “What’s going on?”

He clenched his jaw and shrugged. “Nothing.”

Daniel’s eyebrows raised. “Nothing,” he repeated in disbelief.

Johnny hunched his shoulders a little, he looked uncomfortable. “I don’t know.” His eyes darted at Daniel’s leg, lightning quick. “You’re fragile and shit.”

The confession almost knocked him on his ass.

As soon as he recovered from the shock, a new feeling bubbled inside his chest. He pressed his lips together, trying to contain it, but the laugh tore out of him despite his best efforts. Johnny looked annoyed.

“Sorry, sorry,” Daniel said, quickly getting himself under control. He passed a hand over his face and cleared his throat. “Johnny -” Another fit was threatening to take over but he managed to hold it back. “Thank you for your consideration, but I’m fine. Unless I overdo it, my _knee_ is fine, alright? Now let’s do this again. I want you to give me everything you’ve got, don’t go easy on me.”

“Fine, but don’t blame me if something bad happens to you,” Johnny snapped back but the tips of his ears had gone pink.

They took their positions again, and this time, when Johnny struck first, the difference was like night and day.

Daniel had trained with so many different people around the world - and _none of them_ compared with Johnny. The man was a force of nature. He moved with the uncanny grace of a warrior borne, years of karate having conditioned his body to function like a well-oiled machine.

A thrill of excitement unfurled down Daniel’s spine, as Johnny’s fist struck his ribs. It fired through his veins, leaving him dizzy with anticipation. It’s like they were back at the All Valley Arena, just the two of them in the final round. At the time, he’d forgotten all about the crowd and the cheers. His world had narrowed down to the both of them, and it had been electrifying, sparks flying every time their bodies connected.

And despite his words, Johnny was careful not to aim directly at his knee. The realization caused a warm feeling to bloom in Daniel’s chest.

He didn’t know how long the fight lasted. After what seemed like an eternity, Johnny aimed a punch at his chest, Daniel caught his arm, twisted it and threw him on the floor in one fell swoop. Johnny blinked in surprise at the ceiling, before growling at Daniel. He grabbed him by the arm and _pulled_ \- Daniel’s back slammed into the ground.

As they lay there panting next to each other, a new feeling arose within Daniel. It burned deep in his gut, and left him yearning for more.

When he’d caught his breath, Johnny rolled over on his knees in one swift movement, and sat back on his haunches with his palms on his thighs. He wiped his cheek on his shoulder blade and sniffed loudly.

Daniel was hit by a familiar feeling of _deja-v_ _ù_. He sat up slowly and crossed his knees.

“So what’s the verdict, Sensei?” Johnny asked, and though the tone was joking, his eyes were serious.

He tried to gather his thoughts before speaking. “You have a good stance and you’re quick on your feet. Great arm and leg movements. You seem to always have a plan for your next line of attack. Only thing you need to work on maybe is your defense. You leave your torso unguarded a little too often.”

Johnny hummed, like he was taking Daniel's comments seriously. “And you need to work on your hand strikes.”

“What’s wrong with my hand strikes?” Daniel asked, surprised.

Johnny studied him closely for a while, before seemingly making a decision. He pushed himself to his feet. “Get up.”

He stood up.

Johnny pulled his shoulders back. “Give me a circular punch with your right hand. On my chest here,” he said, as he tapped the area beneath his clavicle with the wide palm of his hand.

Daniel didn’t see the point in the exercise, but he humored him. “Fine.”

Johnny’s eyes dropped to his legs, and he added, “In the Sochin-Dachi position.”

He moved his legs in the requested position, and exhaled slowly. He threw a punch, and Johnny grunted when it connected with his chest. He was like a hard wall of muscle against Daniel’s fist.

“Now the other hand. Change your position, and strike me in the same spot on the other side.” Daniel did as he was told. Johnny dipped his chin, his eyes darting between his legs and his hips. “Make sure not to move your legs.”

He threw his fist forward, and just as he was about to connect, Johnny’s hand closed around his wrist like a hot iron band. Daniel looked down immediately. But he’d followed Johnny’s instructions, he hadn’t moved his legs.

“Look at me,” Johnny’s raspy voice said, and Daniel’s head snapped up, breath catching in his throat. Johnny’s blue eyes bore into his, burning into them like an inferno. He raised an eyebrow. “Why are you aiming at my neck?”

But Daniel was unable to tear his eyes away from Johnny’s. They were so close to each other, he could feel Johnny’s warm breath fan against his face. Daniel's eyes dropped to his lips, and he was shocked by the bolt of arousal that shot through his belly; it was so sudden and unexpected that it knocked all the air out of his lungs. The hand around his wrist tightened, trying to get his attention, and then he remembered that he’d said something. He looked down at his hand and sure enough, it was inches away from the crook of his neck.

“I think it’s because of your knee,” Johnny explained quietly as if nothing had happened. “You overcompensate by swinging too far with your left arm.”

Johnny released his wrist, and then proceeded to explain to him how he could remedy the issue, something about twisting his hips a bit more to the right before every strike - but Daniel wasn’t listening. He couldn’t concentrate over the rush of blood to his ears.

He circled his fingers around his wrist, his heart hammering in his chest.

What the fuck had just happened?

 

* * *

 

It started small: a glazed look while Johnny skipped rope, tight shoulders while he practiced his katas.

Over the next few days, Daniel could see that Johnny’s mind was elsewhere, but he was unable to interpret why. He was too busy freaking out over his newfound revelation, that maybe all these little things he’d been feeling inside _meant_ something.

His mind replayed the scene in the dojo over and over again until the film ran and faded, and all that he was left with was fire in his veins and a simmer low in his belly. It made him think of all those times that his insides had clenched when Johnny was in close proximity, or the times his pulse had raced at sight of the other man’s body.

It was a slippery slope, and it made him question his every interaction with Johnny.

 _Maybe that’s why you wanted to train with him,_ a little voice whispered inside of him. _You just wanted him all to yourself._

The idea planted itself in his mind and caused a ball of anxiety to form in the pit of his stomach. The fact that it sounded like Kreese made it even more nerve-wracking.

Daniel tried to put an end to that chain of thought by renewing his focus on Johnny, and concentrating all his energy on him. He cared about the fight, he cared about _Johnny_.

But by the time he’d interpreted all the signs, it was already too late.

 

* * *

 

“Come on, Johnny. You need to concentrate.”

Johnny hit the dummy harder. The tendons in his neck were standing taunt, shadows playing in the hollow of his throat. Sweat was pouring down his temple in small rivulets.

“No, not harder, not faster, smarter,” Daniel pushed himself against the dummy, feeling each strike like a vibration against his chest.

He continued hitting, until his movements became jerky and uncoordinated. After a while, he was just hitting mindlessly into the dummy - he gave one last punch and bent down at the waist with his hands over his head.

“It’s okay, let’s just take a break,” Daniel said.

Johnny straightened his back, his chest heaving with exertion. He looked like he was going to pass out from the effort.

Daniel released the dummy and grabbed a towel from the shelf, while keeping a close eye on Johnny. He didn’t look so good. He’d arrived late this morning, face hollow with fatigue and stubble on his cheek like he hadn’t bothered to shave. Daniel was starting to feel a niggling worry that something wasn’t right.

He wiped the sweat off his brow and continued watching Johnny, trying to figure him out. From where he was standing, he had the perfect view of the man’s profile.

Daniel froze when he saw him take a step back and sway slightly on his feet. Suddenly, he understood why Johnny smelled like he’d spilled half a bottle of cologne onto himself.

“Are you drunk?”

But Johnny didn’t acknowledge him, just continued staring at the floor like he was trying to ground himself.

It only made him more angry.

“Hey, I asked you a question,” Daniel said in a hard voice, as he grabbed Johnny by the shoulder and turned him around. “Are you drunk?”

Johnny shoved him away. “So what if I am?” he snapped back.

“You can’t drink while training, you need to stay at full capacity. The fight is in eight days.”

“Yeah, I know, asshole,” Johnny yelled. “I’m the one who’s going to be facing Kreese, not you.”

Daniel felt like he’d been slapped in the face. “You’re the one who wanted to fight in my place.” Johnny turned his head away, working his jaw back and forth. “I didn’t ask you to do it. _You_ convinced _me_.” When Johnny still didn’t say anything, Daniel exploded, “Johnny, _talk to me._ ”

Johnny gritted his teeth. “I thought I could do it, alright? I thought I could just show up there and kick his ass. But the more I think about it -” his voice broke off. His throat clicked as he swallowed. “Last night, I thought to myself, how _the_ _fuck_ am I going to beat Kreese when I can’t even face him? Huh? I can’t even _look_ at that piece of shit without thinking of everything that he’s done to me.”

Just like that, Daniel’s anger extinguished faster than a fire in a snow storm.

“Johnny,” he breathed out, feeling an aching pain in his chest. He wanted to gather him into his arms, and comfort him, but Johnny was as stiff as a board.

He rubbed a hand over his face, and when he looked up at Daniel, his eyes flashed in anger. “Stop looking at me like that,” his voice echoed loudly in the small dojo.

And there it was again, Johnny’s insecurity rearing it ugly head. Daniel wasn’t surprised. It was always there, hidden in the shadows, waiting to pounce on the slightest hint of compassion. Under normal circumstances, that would have been enough to stop him from pursuing the conversation. But he needed to lay it all out in the open, or else it was going to consume Johnny like a cancer.

Daniel shook his head. “I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re going through.”

“Fuck, you’re like a dog with a bone,” Johnny said, ripping the headband off his forehead and flinging it to the floor. He grimaced, running his fingers back and forth through his hair. “I wish I’d never told you.”

The words hurt, but Daniel powered through them. “Well you did, and there’s nothing you can do to change that now. I know what happened with Kreese, and I’m sure you told me for a reason - so please Johnny, _let_ _me_ share this burden with you.”

Johnny’s lips curled into a sneer. “Get off your high horse, LaRusso. You don’t know everything, alright?” And it felt like they’d come to the crux of the conversation, what Johnny had been aiming for all along.

 _He wanted to talk about this,_ Daniel realized.

He titled his head and spoke slowly. “No, you’re right. But even if you did tell me everything, nothing would change. I’d still be here training with you.”

Johnny huffed a breath, but Daniel had the impression that he’d said the right thing. He’d said what Johnny wanted to hear, whether he was aware of it or not.

Daniel chewed on his next words. “Let me put it this way, if you don’t want to fight Kreese, because you don’t want to face him again, then I understand. It’s your choice. But if you don’t want to fight him because you think you’ll lose, I want you to banish that thought from your mind. I don’t doubt for one second that you’re going to win this fight.”

Johnny blinked hard. He seemed calmer now. “You don’t know that.”

“Besides Mr. Miyagi, you’re one of the best karateka I know, and trust me, I’ve seen my fair share of tournaments in real life and on the Internet. You’re different from the others, and training with you has only proved that to me. You can _do_ this.”

God, he sounded so smitten even to his own ears.

Johnny bent down to pick up his black headband and smoothed the fabric with his fingers. “Amanda ever tell you you’re painfully optimistic?”

No, she told him the opposite actually, that he was wildly pessimistic in all things except that which mattered to him.

Daniel changed the subject. “Anyway, it’s become very clear to me that we’re spending too much time training you physically, and not enough time mentally.” An idea was blooming in his mind. “How about you get changed and then come meet me outside?”

Johnny looked like all the energy had been drained from his body. “Fine, I’m gonna hit the shower.”

Daniel watched as he turned on his heel and headed inside. He bit his lip, wondering again if he’d said the right thing. Not for the first time, he wished there was a rule-book for dealing with these kinds of situations.

He let out a shaky breath and dragged his feet upstairs, hoping that a shower would clear his mind. He was sure it wouldn't hurt.

 

* * *

 

When he came back down, Johnny was already waiting for him at the door.

“Where are we going?” he asked, apprehension creeping into his expression.

“In the garden shed,” Daniel replied simply.

Johnny frowned, but he didn’t ask any more questions. They went outside and crossed the garden until they reached a small wooden shed on the side of the house.

Daniel pushed the creaking door open with his shoulder. “Welcome to my sanctuary.”

Johnny’s eyes widened at the sight of the shelves, filled to the brim with bonsai trees. He approached one of the trees and poked curiously at the leaves.

“Why do you have so many of them?” Johnny asked him.

Daniel cleared the teak table that lined the opposite wall, and let out a humorless chuckle. “It’s because at LaRusso Auto, every new customer needs to leave with their very own goddamn bonsai tree.”

Johnny looked up with a frown. “You don’t seem too crazy about the idea.”

“Nope, because it was my marketing team’s idea.” He scoffed, “They thought that bringing back the Karate Kid would boost car sales.”

“Well, why’d you do it if you didn’t like it?” Johnny asked, not understanding.

Daniel sighed, as he grabbed two bonsai trees and placed them on the table. “Amanda convinced me to go ahead with the whole thing. I’d always dreamed of opening my own dojo, maybe she thought this was the next best thing.”

Johnny snorted. Daniel continued, “Anyway, sales have been dropping for the past two years, so they’ve just been piling up in the shed. Not that I’m complaining. Marketing gimmick aside, this is really my go-to place to relax. Here take a seat.”

Johnny sat down on the stool, his face etched with uncertainty. Daniel fished two pairs of sheers from the drawer, and nudged another stool closer to the table.

It took Johnny a split-second to catch onto his intention. He jolted out of his seat like a steel spring. “I’m not gonna garden like some _girl_.”

“Johnny -”

“No, fuck this. Who do you think I am, LaRusso?”

Daniel put his hands out. “I just think you’re someone in need of a break. Do you trust me?”

Johnny stared at him with a stubborn set in his jaw.

Daniel sat down slowly on his stool. He didn't think that Johnny would actually listen to him, but after a long moment, he let out a long-suffering sigh and dropped down next to him.

He tried to ignore his racing heartbeat, and returned to the conversation at hand. “The bonsai tree is meant to mimic the shape and scale of full size trees.” He fingered the brown leaves of the bonsai tree before him; it had really suffered from being confined in the garden shed. “And just like full-size trees, they need to be regularly maintained. You do that by pruning the top and outer portions of the bonsai.”

He used the sheers under Johnny’s watchful gaze, snipping one leaf at a time. He could still remember the first time Miyagi had taught him to prune a bonsai tree. The repetitive movement had soothed his frayed nerves, when he’d needed it the most. “And that’s it. It's that simple.”

Johnny picked up the sheers tentatively, and started cutting his own bonsai. For a while, the only sounds in the shed were the snipping of the sheers. After a few minutes, he glanced at Johnny to check on his progress, but he seemed to have trouble manipulating the tool. Daniel leaned forward and corrected the movement of his hand.

“It’s all in the wrist. You need to twist it a bit towards the end.”

Johnny’s eyebrows flew up. “Are you teaching me how to prune or jerk off?”

The laugh started low in Daniel’s throat, he tried to smother it in the crook of his elbow, but it came ripping out of his chest. “You’re such a jackass,” Daniel told him.

Johnny practically preened.

The mood was much more relaxed after that. He taught Johnny how to use a twig sheer to cut off a branch that was sticking out like a sore thumb, and Johnny watched him attentively, before returning to his tree.

“This is the gayest thing I’ve ever done,” Johnny mumbled, but he continued pruning the bonsai with extreme concentration.

Daniel hid a smile. Johnny had already started to loosen up. His shoulders were no longer hunched, and there was more fluidity in his movements. By the time daylight had faded, Johnny had already finished his bonsai tree.

Just as he was about to leave, Daniel had an idea. “How about we go jogging tomorrow morning and then have breakfast at my house?”

Johnny shrugged, as he slung his duffel back over his shoulder. “Why not?”

 

* * *

 

“Meet me inside when you’re done,” he called out to Johnny, before heading to the kitchen.

They’d had a good run, all the way up to the Japanese Garden and back. Johnny had seemed in a better mood this morning. He’d shaved and his face had seemed more rested than usual, which was more that Daniel could say for himself. He’d stayed up half the night, replaying the conversation in his mind and wondering if he should have said or done anything different.

He glanced at the clock above the door. It was eight o’clock; Amanda had already left for work, but the kids would be waking up soon. So he washed his hands and got down to business. He bustled around the kitchen, preparing a variety of small dishes: sliced avocado with gomasio seeds, grilled halloumi cheese, a simple garden tomato salad. He was in the middle of making scrambled eggs, when Samantha appeared in the kitchen, dressed in her jogging suit.

“Hey sweety,” Daniel greeted her over his shoulder.

Samantha hummed. “What are you making?”

“A breakfast for champions,” he said, as he stirred the eggs in the frying pan. He took a handful of fresh chives and sprinkled them on top.

“Is Sensei Lawrence already here?” she asked, and Daniel appreciated her use of his full title. She’d taken the news of the upcoming fight better than he’d expected.

“Yeah, he’s showering. We actually went jogging this morning.”

“No, I went jogging,” a voice came from behind them. Samantha turned around. Johnny walked in, sandy hair curled in wet strands around his neck. “You were somehow competing for the Olympics.”

“Let me guess,” Samantha said, her eyes twinkling with mirth. “He was checking his smart watch like every five minutes?”

Johnny approached the stove, and peeked over Daniel’s shoulder. “Oh yeah. He stared at it so hard, I was starting to think there were naked girls on it.”

She burst out laughing.

“Ha, ha, ha,” Daniel said, and pushed Johnny away with his shoulder. He grunted and let out a low velvety laugh. Daniel could still feel his warm breath against his neck.

Johnny sat down at the kitchen table with Samantha, and they made small talk while Daniel finished cooking. After a while, Anthony ambled in, his feet dragging on the floor. His eyes widened comically at the sight of Johnny.

“Hey,” Johnny paused to greet him before returning to his conversation with Samantha. Anthony sat down at the table, eyebrows up to his hairline, as though he couldn’t believe his luck that Johnny was there. Daniel was starting to think that that his son had developed a hero worship.

When Daniel finished setting the table, Samantha grabbed a piece of toast and stood up. “Okay, gotta go.”

“What?” Daniel asked, mouth gaping open. “We haven’t even started.”

“Sorry, I’m meeting Robby at Starbucks,” she said as she hurried out the door. “See ya.”

Daniel was speechless. He turned to Johnny, expecting him to share his disbelief, but he was too busy filling up his plate with food. “What? No reaction?”

Johnny kept his eyes down and shrugged. “They’ve been meeting up every day for a while now.”

A bad feeling spread through him, and it only intensified when Anthony said in a sing-song voice, “Samantha and Robby kissing in a tree.”

“Tony, don’t you have to get ready for camp?” Daniel asked him sharply.

The smile died on his lips, and Daniel felt a pang of guilt in his chest. Anthony returned to his food with a dejected look on his face.

Johnny’s eyes darted between the two of them, sensing the tension. He nudged Daniel in the arm. “Come on, he didn’t mean anything by it.” He turned to Anthony. “Right, kid? You’re just jealous, because the only action you’re getting is from french-kissing that bagel.”

Anthony’s lips curled into a wicked smile, and then he was licking a broad swipe of his bagel and stuffing it in his mouth.

“Yummy,” he moaned with his mouth full.

Johnny pressed his closed fist against his lips, and then they were both exploding in laughter. But Daniel couldn’t find it in himself to join them.

The thought of Samantha dating Robby had made him lose his appetite.

 

* * *

 

It was only a matter of time before Samantha and Robby ventured into the dojo with doe-eyed expressions, asking if they could watch them train.

Daniel didn’t think it was a good idea, it was an unnecessary distraction for him _and_ for Johnny, but before he could say anything, Johnny had already piped in, “Yeah, sure. Stay as long as you want.”

They practically squealed in excitement. Daniel followed Johnny to the corner of the room, careful to keep a close eye on the lovebirds. _Are you sure about this?_ He wanted to ask. _There are only six days left until the fight._ But then he saw the pleased smile on Johnny’s face. It was just a small curl in his lips, but it lit up his face like the sun.

He’d been doing so well lately. The day before, Daniel had gone upstairs to make a few phone calls and returned to find him in the garden shed, humming a Metallica song under his breath while he pruned his second bonsai tree. Sure, there were still moments when he seemed to lose himself in his thoughts, but those times were few and far between. Also, this was _Robby_ they were talking about. Regardless of the situation, a part of Daniel was just happy to see them reconcile with each other.

So he didn’t say anything. He let Johnny lead the way, and apparently that also meant letting the man kick his ass.

Because Johnny was so much more intense with an audience in the room. He was _bolder_ , exuding confidence with every movement of his body, and smirking at Daniel every time he one-upped him.

“That was awesome,” Robby exclaimed after Johnny had thrown Daniel over his shoulder for the fifth time.

“Want to give it a try?” Johnny asked him, and the look on the young man’s face was priceless.

Daniel watched as Robby took his place in the center of the dojo. He was like a newborn puppy, bouncing on the balls of his feet, and throwing excited glances in Samantha’s direction. Daniel looked at her quickly to gauge her reaction, but she just smiled encouragingly in return.

He quickly forgot his uneasiness once Johnny and Robby started sparring. It’s like he was witnessing a whole new side of Johnny; a lighter, more carefree version of him. He paused every few minutes to patiently explain different points to Robby, and then he recreated the movements to drive it home.

It came so naturally to him, and then the _way_ he fought against Robby - Daniel could see that he was holding himself back, keeping all that raw power within him on a tight leash. It was mesmerizing, and Daniel wouldn’t have noticed if he hadn’t been training with him for an entire week.

As for Robby, he was none the wiser; he flushed in pleasure at the end of the fight, and immediately went to go over the details with Samantha.

Johnny walked up to Daniel’s side and crossed his arms over his chest.

“It was good fight,” Daniel said absently, as he watched Samantha pat Robby on the back. His eyes narrowed. Was that a friendly pat or a _we’re-secretly-dating_ pat?

Johnny cleared his throat. “Well, I am one of the best karateka in the world.”

It took Daniel a while to register his words. He turned his head to Johnny, “You know what, I’m never going to compliment you again.”

“Oh come on, you pansy, lighten up.”

“Who’re you calling a pansy?”

“Who’re you calling a pansy?” Johnny imitated him in high-register voice.

“Okay, now you’re just pissing me off.”

“Am I?” Johnny asked in amusement, and then he was hooking an arm around Daniel’s neck and grappling him into a choke-hold.

“Get off me,” Daniel said, his fingers digging into Johnny’s skin.

“Say it again,” Johnny said, tightening his arm around Daniel’s neck. “Say I’m the best karateka on the internets.”

Daniel choked on laughter. “Oh my God, it’s called the _Internet_ , not the internets.”

“Whatever, nerd. It’s all the same to me. Say it!”

He didn’t say it. He snapped forward at the waist, lifting Johnny off his feet and flipping him over his shoulder. Johnny wheezed as his back hit the floor, and clutched at his sides, barking a laugh with every exhale.

Daniel couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed so hard. He doubled up and covered his face, unable to contain himself. He kept trying to quiet down, and so did Johnny, but all it took was one glance at each other, and they were roaring with laughter all over again.

It took an eternity for their laughs to dissolve into hiccups. Daniel wiped his tears with his wrist, his cheeks were actually _hurting_. He looked up, surprised to see that Samantha and Robby were still there. He'd completely forgotten about them. They were staring at Daniel and Johnny with a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

Daniel let out one last chuckle, as he bent down. He grabbed Johnny by the palm of his hand and pulled him to his feet. “Okay, enough monkeying around, let’s get back to work.”


	6. Still Waters Run Deep

“Robby told me all about this place,” Johnny said, as he shielded his eyes from the sun and peered over the horizon. “He said it’s where you taught him to commune with the lake,” his voice dripped with sarcasm.

Daniel barely refrained from rolling his eyes. He'd been the one to suggest that they train outside for a few hours. Johnny seemed like he’d been having an off day, jaw set tight and eyebrows furrowed in a perpetual frown. So they'd taken Daniel's car and driven north, wind blowing through their hair and REO Speedwagon blasting on the stereo.

“I don’t know about you, but I need some fresh air every now and then.”

Johnny hummed in his throat. Now as they walked until the end of the dock, the view was breathtaking - a huge organic lake as far as the eye could see, surrounded by trees of evergreen. Daniel dropped his backpack on the dock and inhaled deeply, the smell of pine rising to his nostrils with the slightest hint of sea water. The sun had already reached its highest point, and was now lazily basking in the sky.

He turned to Johnny, who seemed to be similarly enjoying the view. “I thought we could start by practicing our katas.”

“Sure,” Johnny said, as they bent down to take off their shoes at the same time. They were both wearing gym shorts and t-shirts. He quirked his lips. “Should I bow down to the lake first?”

“Yeah, yeah, enough with the wisecrack. Let's start with the Shisochin kata.”

Johnny chuckled, but did as he was told. They were just individual moves combined in a sequenced pattern, and as they transitioned from one movement to another, Daniel could feel the energy travel through his body. They moved together in perfect synchronicity. Every now and then, they'd face each other and Johnny would acknowledge him with a barely-there curl of his lips, but otherwise they stayed entirely concentrated on their movements.

“Back to the Musubi dachi.” They took a standing position again, and Daniel blew out a long breath. “Okay, now close your eyes and relax.”

This was the part that Johnny might not like. Daniel closed his eyes, and when he spoke again, it was in a slow, calming voice. “We're going to breathe in through the nose, and out from the mouth. I want you to concentrate on the sound of the water, the rustling of the trees, the birds flying overhead.”

After a long time, Daniel spoke again. “Your whole body should now feel relaxed and warm. Now let's move to the Tsuru Ashi Dachi stance. I want you to inhale slowly and raise your right leg so that the foot touches the knee of your left leg. Take your time and try to keep your balance. Exhale at the end of the movement.”

They transitioned to the new stance, and held it for a minute.

“This position also has another name,” Johnny said quietly. “Sagi Ashi Dachi. It means heron foot stance.”

Of course, Daniel already knew that, but he played along. “Yeah?”

Johnny grunted. “I once watched a documentary about herons. Do you know why they have webbed feet?”

"Why?"

Daniel heard a small sound, and then a hand was pressing against his chest. His eyes snapped open, Johnny was smirking in his face. “So that they can swim.”

And then he was being shoved back; he stumbled over the ledge and fell into the lake, cold water submerging around his head. For a moment he floated under water, too shocked to move, but then he felt a surge of energy. He kicked his legs and swam upwards, bursting through the surface.

“What the hell, Johnny,” he yelled, as he tried to catch his breath. He could feel the water pulling down his shorts, weighing him down like an anvil.

But Johnny just clutched at his sides, laughing like a maniac.

“You’re an asshole.” He swam towards the dock and held out his hand. “Help me get out.”

Johnny’s laughter tapered off, and he squinted in amusement. “Nice try, LaRusso. Do you think I was born yesterday?”

Daniel stared daggers at him, but Johnny didn’t budge. “Fine,” he huffed, and Johnny’s smile dimmed a little. “I don’t need you.” And then he started swimming by himself towards the shore. Johnny was silent for a while, the only sound coming from the water that rippled with every stroke of his arms.

After a few moments, the dock creaked under Johnny’s footsteps.

“Your antics aren't gonna work on me,” Johnny said firmly.

Daniel kept his lips pressed tight, and continued wading through the water, taking his sweet-ass time to reach the shore. He was pretty sure that if he straightened his body, his feet would touch the ground.

“Are you gonna pout all the way home?”

He pretended that he didn't hear him, which only seemed to rankle him more. Johnny let out a sound of frustration. “Ah, you're such a baby. Just give me your hand.” Daniel stopped swimming and looked up. Johnny’s face was set in a scowl. Daniel swam closer, watching with suppressed glee as Johnny knelt on the dock and extended his hand. He grabbed the offered hand, and then he clasped his other hand securely around Johnny's forearm -

“Sucker,” he smirked.

Johnny’s eyes widened, and then Daniel was digging one foot against the ground, one against the beam of the dock, and flipping Johnny into the water. Daniel roared with laughter as Johnny burst out of the water, sputtering. He stood with the water reaching him at mid-chest level, his hair plastered to his temple like a wet dog.

Daniel leaned his shoulder against the dock with a shit-eating grin. “You should have just gone with your instincts, man.”

“Oh, now we’re on,” Johnny growled, and then he was lunging towards him. Daniel squawked and dived sideways into the water. A hand clamped around his ankle and he kicked it away, hearing a grunt when it connected with something hard. When he surged out of the water a few feet away, Johnny was advancing on him with a predatory look in his eyes.

Daniel blinked the water out of his eyes. “Okay, we both got each other, ha, ha,” he said as he walked backwards. “Now let’s get back to our training.”

Johnny flashed his teeth, shirt sticking to his torso like a second skin. “Oh no, you’re not getting off that easy, spaghetti legs.”

His arms were splayed like he was going to physically wrestle Daniel underwater, and then he lunged forward again, and Daniel wasn’t fast enough this time, a hand landed on his head and dunked him underneath the surface.

And then the game was on.

They horsed around like kids, splashing and dunking each other between fits of laughter, and with every tussle, they drew closer to the shore. Slowly, he watched Johnny's body emerge out of the water; first his torso, then his hips, and finally the top of his thighs. Daniel's stomach tightened with arousal at the sight of him, he looked like a statue, his arms roped with muscle and sinew, and the wide expanse of his chest heaving with every breath.

Now that water wasn't a hindrance anymore, it was easier to attack one another. One elbow strike later, and they were sparring in the lake, as they would over solid ground. It turned out that practicing karate in water was a great way to train their muscles. Johnny was quick on his feet, and surprisingly creative, using water to divert Daniel's attention whenever needed.

When their fingers were pruned and their limbs had turned to jello, they dragged themselves out of the water. Johnny groaned as he stretched on his tip-toes and removed his shirt, muscles in his back rippling into view.

Daniel ran his fingers through his wet hair, not knowing where to look. “If you want, there are blankets in the car.”

“Nah, it’s nothing a little sunshine won’t dry out,” he said. He twisted the shirt in his hands, squeezing out all the extra water, and then bent down to bunch his jogging shorts up his thighs, also to remove the excess water.

Daniel bit his lip. He was starting to feel like a wiry twig compared to Johnny. They were close in height, but in terms of muscle tone, Johnny was much bulkier and wider. Daniel took off his shirt, shivering at the contact of the air with his torso. He kept his lanky arms close to his body, as he removed his socks. Neither of them removed their shorts.

They put out everything to dry in full view of the sun, and then lay a little further down on the shore. The sun wasn't as strong as it was earlier, especially where they were sprawled, tree branches filtering the rays of sunshine. He felt his body melt into the ground, his sore muscles becoming loose and soft.

They stayed like that for a long time, before Johnny broke the silence.

“Sometimes it's hard to believe that you're the same Daniel LaRusso I knew in high-school.”

Daniel opened his eyes, blinking away the black dots that filled his vision, and turned his head to look at Johnny. His eyes were closed, and he had both hands behind his head. He seemed so relaxed, like a cat bathing in the sun. “Why do you say that?”

He shrugged, a graceful movement in his shoulders. “Back then, it's like you were created to make my life a living hell.”

Daniel snorted. “Well you weren't no angel either.”

Johnny let out a low laugh, and the warmth of it made Daniel’s body prickle with pleasure. They sank back into a comfortable silence.

When Johnny spoke again, there was something wistful about his tone.

“I wanted to put all of that behind us. After the Tournament.”

Daniel didn't need to wrack his brain to know what he was talking about; the memory was right there beneath the surface. He'd just won the Tournament, Johnny had snatched the trophy from the referee, and pushed it into Daniel's hands. _You_ _’re all right, LaRusso,_ he’d said over the cheers of the crowd, his face filled with emotion. Daniel had barely enough time to react before he was being whisked away by the throng of spectators.

“Maybe if you hadn't changed schools, we could have become friends.”

Johnny hummed. The sun had dipped below the crest of the trees before them, and it was so quiet. Except for a few birds flying overhead, it's like they were the last two people on earth.

He looked back at Johnny, and allowed his gaze to roam over him for the first time since they'd clambered out of the lake. Fire had already been simmering low in his belly, but now it spiked as his eyes traced over the hard ridges of Johnny’s body. He was in amazing shape for his age, every inch of him toned and solid. Daniel followed the curve of his biceps, the lean muscles in his torso, and then there was the way his shorts rode a little too low, revealing a darker trail of hair towards his -

Daniel sat up with hunched shoulders and rubbed the back of his head, careful to shield away his hard-on. His entire body flushed; it was becoming a recurring problem for him. He pushed himself to his feet and walked a few feet away where his shirt lay on the ground. He snatched it and slipped it on. It was still a bit damp, but it felt refreshing on his warm skin. After a few seconds, Johnny followed suit and they got dressed side by side.

They walked quietly back to the car, Daniel chewing the inside of his cheek as he wondered what the hell he was going to do about this infatuation. At first, he'd thought it was a harmless crush that would fizzle out with time, but as the hours stretched into days, the crush showed no signs of abating; if anything, it became stronger the longer they spent time together. Johnny consumed his every thought, and Daniel was left hard and aching at the end of every day.

The ride was silent, each of them buried in their own thoughts. When he arrived to Johnny’s apartment complex, he shifted the car into park.

“Okay, well thanks for today,” Johnny said, placing his hand on the car handle.

He nodded, and then Johnny climbed out of the car. He watched as one of the apartment doors opened and Miguel came out, squinting against the glare of the headlights. The lines disappeared from his forehead when he saw Johnny run towards him and grapple him into a playful choke-hold. Miguel laughed and they rough-housed a little before heading inside.

Daniel's heart pulsed at the sight of the smile on Johnny's face.

 

* * *

 

“So how's it going with your boyfriend?” Amanda asked him that night. It’s the way she usually talked, but suddenly it felt different.

Guilt tugged low in his gut like a leaden weight.

He remembered his mother's words in front of the house. _You've always been so obsessed with that man._ For the first time, they rang in his head like the bells of damnation.

“Good," he said, ignoring the way his stomach twisted in shame.

 

* * *

 

Three days before the fight, Daniel was finally able to convince himself that he hadn’t done anything wrong. This was a purely one-sided attraction; _nothing_ was going to come out of it.

Though sometimes, he liked to believe that Johnny's steady gaze and constant teasing meant something, he knew it was all in his head.

Now that he felt less burdened by the guilt, he allowed himself to make the most out of their last days together.

“A celebratory dinner?” Johnny asked, bemused. He blinked the sweat out of his eyes. “Why? We haven't even won anything yet.”

“I guess I just want to celebrate how far you've come with your training.”

Johnny rolled his eyes, the way he always did when Daniel spoke sincerely. But when they began sparring again, there was no hiding the pleased smile on his sun-kissed face. The truth was, he _had_ gotten better, and it showed in his technique. He was leaner, more agile, and sharper with his attacks.

So that evening, Daniel left the dojo a little earlier than usual. He took a quick shower, and then checked the pantry for everything that he needed. Before heading out, he popped his head back into the dojo. Samantha and Robby had appeared out of nowhere, and were gathered around Johnny while he practiced his kicks on the dummy, long legs hitting multiple spots in one go.

He opened his mouth and then snapped it back shut when he noticed that Anthony had also made a spot for himself in the corner of the dojo. He wasn't playing on his console or scarfing down donuts, he was just staring at Johnny with a look of pure unadulterated adoration.

Daniel cleared his throat; better not question it. “I'm going to the store for a quick run. Do you need anything?”

Johnny paused his exercise and wiped the sweat off his brow with his arm. “Can I get one last bottle of Coors before the big fight?” he asked cheekily.

Daniel's eyebrows raised. Johnny's lips curled in a boyish grin, and then he jumped and kicked the head of the dummy with his opposite leg. It was a show-off move, done for the sake of impressing him and the kids.

“Was Guns N’ Roses any good after Slash left?”

He didn't wait to see if Johnny got the joke. The answering laugh hit him as he walked out the door.

He felt giddy as he drove to the store. It was the end of the day, so the place was full of tired, unsmiling people dragging carts. Daniel didn't want to dawdle, so he sped through the aisles getting everything that he needed. When he was done, he slowed down by the beer, wine & spirits section. He hesitated a little, before grabbing two non-alcoholic Coors from the shelf, and then he headed to the express line with the least amount of people.

As he went over his list to check if he’d forgotten anything, he felt a prickling sensation in the back of his neck, like he was being watched. The feeling intensified when the person in front of him shifted on their feet. He lowered his phone and looked up, his entire body going tense at once.

It was Kreese. The old man stood in front of him, dressed in in black jeans and a short-sleeved shirt. Daniel didn't know how long he'd been staring at him.

“Getting ready for Saturday?” he said with a smile on his face.

Daniel gritted his teeth, and slipped his phone into his back pocket. If he ignored Kreese, maybe he’d just go away.

But Kreese didn’t get the hint. “I heard that you were training Johnny,” he said, advancing in line with a heavy gait.

“Yeah, who told you that?”

“A little birdie.”

Daniel scoffed, as the first tendrils of anger rose to the surface. The sight of Kreese was nauseating. After everything he'd done... Daniel just wanted to get the hell out of here.

“I can't say I wasn't surprised,” Kreese continued, as he leveled an even gaze on Daniel. “Given the history between the two of you.”

“Well, turns out all we needed was a common enemy.”

Kreese chuckled, a dark velvety laugh that caused Daniel's every nerve ending to bristle. “Don't get me wrong, Mr. LaRusso. I'm happy that you're training him.” And then, like he was testing the waters, “Maybe Johnny will finally learn to defend himself better.”

His stomach tightened. “Shut up, Kreese.”

“You know, I told him year after year, I tried to teach him - always keep your elbows close to your body, don't go spreading them out, but Johnny -” Kreese shook his head, and bared his teeth in a smile. “He's always been a bit of a slow learner.”

Daniel clenched his jaw, trying to hold back the anger.

“You don't think so?” Kreese asked, lifting an eyebrow like he was inspecting an interesting bug, and Daniel should have _known_ better, but then he said, “You don't think there are a few crayons missing in that box?”

Something inside of Daniel _snapped_ , and the words ripped out of his throat, low and rough. “There are no crayons missing, you son of a bitch. He's smarter and braver than you'll ever be. Now say his name one more time, and I'll knock your goddamn teeth out.”

The second the words were out of his mouth, he knew it was the wrong thing to say. Kreese turned around fully and watched him, eyes narrowed in speculation. “Well, I'll be damned.”

And Daniel didn't like the tone. His nostrils flared, as he watched Kreese work his jaw back and forth, like he was calculating his next move. It was unnerving.

“Mr. LaRusso, do you know much about horses?”

Daniel didn’t reply. He didn’t know where Kreese was going with this.

“See, I grew up on a farm. We had all kinds of animals: chickens, goats, cows, you name it. There was this horse called Bitter.” He cupped the palms of his hands in front of him. “I held him in my hands from the time he was a foal until he grew into a purebred stallion. He was one of a kind, unique, but he was also untamed and wild.” His eyes flashed dangerously. “At first, I tried to break him in gently, but as he grew older, he became more feral and disobedient, so I had to use more _extreme_ measures.”

The cashier was a young teenager with no tact; she looked up with a concerned frown on her face. Kreese noticed her, jaw twitching in irritation. He took a step towards Daniel, and before he could react, Kreese had caught him by the arm, and dropped his voice to a harsh whisper. “When you go home and enjoy Johnny's submission, know that it’s because I broke him for you all - night - long.”

Daniel's body went ice cold. Kreese leaned back, eyes glimmering darkly like he was enjoying Daniel's reaction. He fished a crumpled twenty-dollar bill out of his pocket and threw it at the cashier. “Keep the change.”

And then he snatched his case of beer and strutted out through the sliding door. Daniel didn't move, he _couldn't_. A voice was talking next to him, but he felt like he was back in the lake, his ears filling with water and muffling the sounds around him.

A hand pressed against his elbow, squeezing slightly, and he turned his head, blinking hard. The man's lips were moving, Daniel watched him numbly, trying to understand, and then suddenly, all the sound came back in a _woosh_.

“- you okay?” It was the manager. He started fidgeting with his hands. “Sir, I think you should sit down.”

“No,” he croaked. “I -” He swallowed, and his mind went blank again. The cashier was staring at him with wide eyes. She had already scanned all his items. “I need to go.”

The manager hovered anxiously over him, helping him bag his items and then making sure he got the right change. Then, Daniel was left to fend for himself in the parking lot; he felt like he was trudging through molasses as he walked to the car.

He closed the door and settled the bag on the passenger seat, then just sat there, staring at the stirring wheel.

“Fuck,” his voice echoed in the car. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

He pressed his fingers into his eyes. Up until then, his vision of that night had been vague, it had been just a blurry image, a still photograph captured with low lighting and a slow shutter speed camera. But now the pixels rearranged themselves and crystallized before his very eyes, they joined other images, made sequences until a different film played in his head: ripped clothes, rough hands, Johnny’s broken body laying on the beach, after being abused over and over again, pain, blood - he'd never thought of the _blood_ -

A strong wave of nausea washed over him. He hunched forward in his seat, trying desperately to keep it down.

He thought back to his conversation with Johnny, he sifted through his memory of that night. Johnny had never - he’d never _mentioned_ how many times it had happened that night. He'd said something about the morning - how he'd woken up to find Kreese was gone. But he hadn't _said_ \- Daniel's mouth gaped open in a shaky exhale, the words suddenly ringing in his ears -

_It seemed to last forever._

Johnny had said that, and at the time - fuck, Daniel had thought he was talking metaphorically. He was _so fucking stupid._ He clenched his fist and hit the stirring wheel once, twice - pain flared in his hand but he didn't care - he pummeled it, grunting with each strike - until he could no longer feel his fist, and then he let out a scream of frustration.

His chest heaved with every breath, as he leaned his head back against the headrest. He closed his eyes and tried desperately to calm down his racing heartbeat. He was _furious_ \- but even stronger than the fury was another emotion. It was a sadness that almost crushed him with its intensity.

Johnny didn't deserve what had happened to him. He could have had a good life, a _better_ life. The realization didn't just hit Daniel, it trampled all over him, leaving him wrung out and dazed. He pressed his knuckle against his forehead, still trying to catch his breath and almost jumped out of his skin, when his phone pinged with a new message.

_Hey Dad! Please get vanilla ice-cream_

He stared down at the message from Samantha, suddenly remembering that he was supposed to be cooking dinner tonight. He didn't know how he was going to do it, didn't know how he was going to face any of them. He gritted his teeth and quickly turned the key in the ignition. There was a churning sensation in his belly that told him he didn't have a choice.

The drive home was hazy and uncoordinated. He let his mind go over all the possible outcomes, but at the end, the more he thought about it, the more he became convinced that Johnny didn't need to know. He'd already been through enough trauma, he didn’t need to relive the pain of that night. Just the fact that he'd gone through it alone - Daniel had no idea how he'd survived through that. He'd always known that Johnny was resilient, but this was a whole new level of strength.

No, he wasn't going to tell Johnny. This was _his_ burden to bear.

It didn't help that the first thing he heard when he got out of the car was Johnny’s laughter ringing through the night. It sounded like he was playing with the kids in the backyard, the sounds of rough-housing and banter dispersing in the hot air.

When Daniel reached the kitchen, he dropped the bag of groceries on the counter and started emptying it with numb hands. He looked at the clock; he had one hour left to finish preparing dinner, so he put a step on it.

He worked on autopilot, frying the onions and garlic for the pasta al'arrabiata, while preparing the roquette parmesan truffle salad on the side. Images of Johnny - broken, beaten, bloodied - kept rising to the surface, seeping into his thoughts, but by now the anger was long gone, buried underneath waves of grief and sadness.

He was in the middle of pouring tomato sauce into the sauce pan, when he heard a voice call out in the hallway, “I'll be back in a second!” His stomach twisted in knots. It was Samantha, her laughter tapered off as she entered the kitchen.

“Hey, we didn’t hear you come back,” Samantha said, as she came up next to him. She eyed the frying pan. “Need any help?”

Daniel swallowed the lump in his throat. “No thanks, honey.”

“Okay, well did you get my message about the ice-cream?”

He was about to ask _What message?_ when he remembered that she’d asked him for ice-cream in the car. He stared at the pan with unseeing eyes.

She nudged him with her shoulder. “Dad?”

He blinked fast, and looked at her. “No, I’m sorry,” he said roughly. He cleared his throat and returning to the stove. “I'd already left.”

Samantha's smile dimmed a little, but it didn’t translate into her tone. “It’s okay,” she said, chipper as always, and then left the kitchen the same way she came in.

Daniel blew out a shaky breath, and went over what still needed to be done. He couldn't even remember if he'd bought the parmesan. A quick peek into the fridge told him he hadn't forgotten it, he unwrapped the hard block of cheese and started grating it into a small plate. The repetitive movement soothed his nerves, reminding of the months he'd spent learning how to wax on and wax off with Mr. Miyagi. He was so focused on the task at hand that he jerked back when the smell of burning wafted its way into his nose.

“Shit,” he said, as he scrambled to turn down the heat. He hurried to stir the sauce, but there were already burned clumps at the bottom of the pan.

“I'm starting to think the kids oversold your cooking skills,” a voice came from behind him.

He turned around, his heart in his throat. Johnny was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed. He'd showered and dressed in his normal clothes. The sight of him caused an aching pain in Daniel's chest.

He returned to the stove, moving the arrabiata sauce around in the pan. He heard approaching footsteps, and then Johnny was leaning his hip against the counter.

Daniel could feel his face heating up under his gaze.

“Samantha said you were acting weird.”

He continued stirring the sauce with the concentration of a thousand suns. “Why would she say that?”

“Maybe because you are,” Johnny said, tilting his head slightly. “You look like Jack's frozen face in the Shining.”

If it was any other time, Daniel would have laughed, but the noose around his chest only tightened. He released the wooden spoon and wiped his fingers on his front, distantly realizing that he’d forgotten to wear an apron.

“I need to make the pasta,” he said, and then reached in the overhead cabinet for the dry penne. Johnny stayed quiet, as he watched Daniel putter around the kitchen, boiling the water and setting out a large pot.

Daniel knew why he was avoiding Johnny’s gaze; the man had the uncanny ability of reading his face like an open book. Now it made him feel cornered - like no matter what he did, he couldn't escape the sharpness in those eyes. It's all he could think about as he tipped the pasta in the measuring cup. But just as he was about to transfer it to the boiling pot, he bumped it into the handle of the sauce pan and the pasta scattered all over the floor like little marbles. Daniel made a distressed sound in his throat, and fell to his knees to pick up the pieces.

After a few seconds, Johnny's denim covered knees came into view followed by an empty bowl. “Here you go.”

Daniel nodded, and they worked in silence, each gathering the pasta in the palms of their hands, before transferring it to the bowl.

“Is it something that I did?” Johnny said, and Daniel blinked up at him, not understanding. The smooth mask was back in place. “Because if it is, you can tell me.”

It took him a few seconds to understand. “No,” he choked out, sitting back on his haunches. “You didn't do anything.”

Johnny seemed unconvinced. “Then what is it?”

Daniel tried to breathe through the building pressure in his chest, it pressed down on him, suffocating him. _I_ _broke him for you all night long,_ the velvety voice echoed in his head. He could still smell Kreese's sour breath, could still see those terrifying black eyes burning into him with delight.

He didn't know what expression he had on his face, but suddenly Johnny was frowning, like he’d just realized that something was very, very wrong. Daniel's insides screamed, and he dropped his eyes to the floor. He started gathering the pasta like his life depended on it.

“Hey,” Johnny said, leaning forward and trying to capture his gaze. Then, in a louder voice, “Look at me.”

He shook his head and stood up quickly, knee twinging with the movement. His heart was hammering in his chest. He threw the insides of the bowl into the pot, hearing Johnny get to his feet - the water bubbled over in a frothy layer, and then a hand was grabbing him roughly by the arm, turning him around by force. “Daniel, look at me.”

He froze upon hearing the words, his entire body going rigid. Even Johnny seemed shocked; short breaths coming out of him with every rise and fall of his chest, like he couldn't believe what he'd just said.

Time seemed to stand still as they stood there, staring at each other. Nothing else seemed to exist, except Johnny's hand on his arm and Daniel’s name on his lips.

Daniel watched the bob in his throat as he swallowed - and then the grip on his arm was tightening, strong fingers digging into his flesh - Johnny looked like he was going to say something, he opened his mouth, and just at that moment Daniel heard the tell-tale jingle of the keys in the door. He wanted to tell Johnny, but he couldn't, the words were _stuck_ -

“Hi mom,” Anthony said from the hallway.

Johnny released Daniel quickly like he'd been burned, and rubbed the back of his neck. His face had gone red, a flush that started high in his cheeks and descended all the way to his neck. Daniel couldn't take his eyes off of him.

“Hey,” a voice said at the entrance. He finally unglued his eyes from Johnny, long enough to look at Amanda. Her eyes darted between the two of them. “What's wrong? What happened?”

Daniel exhaled shakily, his heart still racing in his chest.

Johnny cleared his throat. “I'll be out back,” he said, avoiding his gaze. He dropped his hand and left the room.

Then, it was just the two of them. They stared at each other, Daniel feeling guilt tug deeper at his gut with every second that ticked by. After a while, when Amanda realized that he wasn’t going to say anything, her shoulders slumped a little. She walked toward him, heels clacking on the tiled floor. Daniel felt like a deer caught in headlights, and then she was placing a hand on his shoulder.

“I think you and I need to talk,” she said in a low voice. Panic rose in Daniel's chest, closing his throat, but she was quick to reassure him. “Not now, you don't need any more distractions before the big fight. But after.” There was a pained look on her face. “We'll talk after, okay?”

She was waiting for him to answer, so he nodded. She smiled a little and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. Then, she left the kitchen, leaving behind her a trail of perfume.

He turned his back to the door and passed a hard hand over his face. There were too many emotions warring inside of him - fear, sadness, guilt - and amidst the raging storm was Kreese, who kept trying to slither his way into his thoughts like poison.

Daniel tried to shove them down, as he finished the pasta al'arrabiata. He had to keep his shit together, or else he wasn't going to last through dinner.

Soon Samantha and Robby came into the kitchen, taking plates, glasses and cutlery to set the table outside. Anthony helped by taking out the prepared dishes. Daniel stayed behind, deciding at the last moment to cut a loaf of bread to go with the salad.

By the time he arrived to the backyard, the table was set, and everybody was already seated. Daniel's eyes zeroed in on the only seat left, on the corner of the square table between Johnny and Amanda.

Dinner was awkward, the kids trying to keep the conversation flowing, while Amanda chipped in every now and then. It was so obvious that something had happened, but Daniel didn't care. He felt like he was drowning in a sea of emotions, the waves crashing into him over and over again, leaving him barely gasping for breath.

“- the _cutest_ face ever. Do you remember, Dad?”

Daniel grunted in question. He hadn't been following the conversation.

It was Amanda who repeated the question. “You remember that time we all went to the farmer's market and there was that old lady with the small dog?”

“Oh yeah,” he said, smiling a little, but he knew it didn't reach his eyes. “He had no teeth.”

There was a small laugh at the table, like everyone was desperate for a breather, and then the conversation naturally shifted to something else. Daniel played with the pasta in his plate, moving it back and forth.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he almost jumped out of his skin when he felt something brush against his leg. He dropped his fork into his plate, metal clanging against porcelain, but nobody noticed, too busy listening to Robbie talk about the summer he'd spent volunteering at an animal shelter.

It had felt like - Daniel clenched his fist - no, it couldn't be. He looked at Johnny from the corner of his eye, but he was eating normally, shoveling food into his mouth like it was his last meal on Earth. Daniel's eyes dropped to his plate, face heating up in embarrassment. He felt stupid for even thinking it could be him.

He picked up his fork with numb fingers, and tried to calm his racing heartbeat. But just as he speared the pasta with the fork, he felt it again - this time Johnny's knee bumped firmly into his leg and stayed there.

Daniel's body went hot, scrambling to understand what it meant. Very slowly, he turned his face towards Johnny. It was just a small tilt of the head that allowed him to peer up at him without drawing the attention of the rest of the table. At first, Johnny ignored him, but then his movements slowed down a little. He swallowed what was in his mouth and looked up, his blue eyes settling calmly on Daniel - and just like that, Daniel felt his armor crack wide open.

It was a long time coming; there was only so much he could take before the feelings spilled out of him like some kind of emotional tsunami. He didn't know what emotions burst through the crack; all he knew was that his yearning for Johnny pulsed with every breath. It was only two, three seconds, but enough time for Johnny's eyes to dart all over his face, taking in everything, analyzing - accepting. Johnny looked down and visibly took a deep breath. He pressed his leg fully against Daniel's, from knee to foot, and then he returned to his food like everything was normal.

Daniel's nostrils flared. He blinked down at this plate and tried to reign back in his emotions. He felt split open and raw, like the only thing keeping him grounded to reality was the anchor against his limb. On the other hand, Johnny seemed now more determined to make up for his silence by making conversation with the rest of the table, and he kept throwing Daniel these _looks_ from underneath his lashes. He couldn't decipher what they meant.

After the main course, Samantha and Robby stood up from their seats.

“We have a surprise for desert,” Samantha said, smiling widely. Anthony got up and brought something from the small table next to the grill.

“You're gonna love this,” Amanda said, nudging his elbow, and he could see that she was holding back a laugh.

“Ta-da,” Anthony said with a flourish, as he set it down on the table.

Daniel suddenly understood why Samantha had wanted vanilla ice-cream. It was a white chocolate cake with the red silhouette of two men kicking each other in mid-air. Daniel's eyes were immediately drawn to the frosting that said “Go Team Lawrusso.”

Johnny beamed at the sight of the cake, laugh lines digging into his cheeks. “Of course my name came first.”

He bumped his leg giddily against Daniel, which only made his heart beat faster.

“Do you like it, Dad?”

The kids were looking at him with hopeful eyes. His voice was hoarse when he spoke. “Yeah, I love it.”

They smiled in pleasure, and then they got to eating. The conversation was much less stilted afterward, Daniel making more of an effort to participate.

It was nine o'clock by the time they finished polishing their plates. Johnny excused himself, and Daniel offered to walk Robby and him to the car. Robby immediately went to sit in the passenger seat, while Daniel and Johnny lingered outside.

“So I'll see you tomorrow?” Johnny asked, digging his thumbs into his jean pockets.

Daniel peered up into his eyes, they were so vibrant in the darkness of the night. He licked his lips, and Johnny's eyes dropped down, before looking back up.

And that's when Daniel realized what the look on his face was.

_Hope._

“Yeah,” he said, breath catching in his throat. “I'll see you tomorrow.”

 

* * *

 

After that, it seemed like Daniel and Johnny started speaking a different language, one that was unknown to those around them. When Johnny adjusted Daniel's position for a move, his strong hands lingered, soft caress of his fingertips when he released him. When Daniel watched Johnny train on the dummy, he let himself stare a little more at the sliver of golden chest that peeked through the flap of his gi.

Something was happening between them. They never recognized it out loud, but it was there, in every fleeting touch, every stolen glance.

And it couldn't have happened at the most inopportune time; there were only _two_ _days_ left until the fight. So Daniel tried to put a lid on it, tried to push down the desperate longing. He insisted that they practice Johnny's defense over and over, until they were both sweating with exhaustion.

“Trying to get me tired before the big fight or what?” Johnny said, lips pulling into a smile, as he turned to wipe his face with a towel.

Daniel was glad he'd turned around, because he was sure his face showed exactly what else they could do to tire out Johnny.

Though, it seemed there was still something tentative on Johnny's side. Sometimes it showed on his face when their eyes met, a flicker of doubt intertwined with uncertainty, like he was wondering whether he'd misread Daniel.

It dug the blade deeper into Daniel's heart, Kreese's words still ringing in his head. He wished fervently that he could tell Johnny exactly how much he meant to him, but he couldn't, not when there were so many things on the line: Amanda, the kids, the company. Not when he wasn't exactly sure of what he was feeling inside.

He promised himself that he'd give the matter all due attention once they finished training.

Because first, they had a fight to win.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [This](https://imgur.com/a/LOxveWy) is a cute picture of Mr. Poppins, the dog with no teeth.


	7. Rising Up

“Wow, it’s like a whole different kind of crowd.” Robby said, as he slowly spun in place.

“Yeah, it definitely is,” Daniel said, smiling. He let his eyes roam over the bleachers, overflowing to the brim with spectators. The arena buzzed with excitement, sounds of laughter and conversation filling the air.

His smile pulled into a grin, when he noticed that all of Johnny’s students were there too. He spotted Miguel’s face among the sea of spectators, talking animatedly with Aisha and a small, bespectacled boy with light brown hair. Daniel felt _pumped_ , like every fiber of his being was vibrating with anticipation. Not even Kreese's presence could dampen his mood. The old man stood on the other side of the ring, surveying the crowd like a king before his royal court, with his hands tucked underneath his armpits. He seemed determined to ignore Daniel.

“Hey,” Johnny said, appearing at his side.

Daniel focused on Johnny. “How are you feeling?”

“Great. Ready to kick some ass,” Johnny said, but he seemed distracted. His eyes kept darting toward the bleachers. Daniel didn't understand why until he spoke again. “Nobody told me there were going to be camera crews.”

Daniel blinked and turned his attention to the bleachers, where a flock of reporters occupied the first row. “Why? You shy?”

“No,” Johnny said a little too fast, but his ears had gone pink at the tips. Daniel raised an eyebrow, and Johnny huffed. “Fine, I'm not a huge fan of the camera.”

Daniel tried not to let the surprise show on his face. His eyes traced over Johnny's profile, wondering what the hell the man had to feel self-conscious about. Soon he found himself lingering on the dip of his throat, where sweat glimmered in the shadows.

“You going to a wedding or something?” Johnny asked.

His eyes snapped up just in time to see Johnny's mouth twitch in amusement. Had he noticed the scrutiny? Daniel didn't care. He glanced down at his black suit pants and white dress shirt. “Shut up, you know I look good.”

Johnny let out a low laugh, but he didn't deny it. Daniel's body prickled with pleasure.

“Everyone’s here,” Robby called from behind him.

They both turned around at the same time, and despite the fact that he'd told Johnny that she was coming, he still edged closer to Daniel.

Lucille looked as prim as ever, dressed in beige pants and a silk blouse. After three weeks of radio silence, she'd called Daniel the night before to make amends, and to ask if she could attend the fight. He'd said yes, but under one condition.

She moved toward them now with an expression of cool politeness, and seemed to steel herself before turning to Johnny.

“Mr. Lawrence,” she said, and he dipped his head in response. Lucille was never one to beat around the bush. “I’m sorry for the way I treated you at dinner.”

Johnny squirmed. “Mrs. LaRusso, you don't need to apologize -”

“Yes, I do. It was wrong of me to take it out on you. I feel absolutely awful. Everyone keeps telling me what a good man you are. Tony didn't stop talking about you all the way here.”

A mop of hair appeared at her elbow. “Grandma,” Anthony whined.

“Oh, stop it. We're just talking.” Lucille chided him, but she looked more relaxed now.

“For what it's worth,” Johnny said. “I'm sorry for the way I treated your son in high-school.”

“Yes, well.” She turned to Daniel, her lips pulling into a wistful smile. “If Daniel forgives you, then so do I.”

“Ma,” he said, flushing in gratitude. She drew him into a familiar and comforting embrace. When she released him, she touched his neck, and there was something sad about her smile.

“I'll be cheering for the both of you.” Then, she gave him a caress on the cheek, and headed toward the bleachers.

Amanda had witnessed the entire scene with a look of utter bewilderment. “Well, that went better than I expected.”

“Yeah, it did,” Daniel said, his eyes finally settling on Amanda. She looked amazing, hair tied in a tight bun and high-waist pants that made her legs go for miles. Meanwhile, Anthony had closed in on Johnny; Daniel could hear him jabbering on about the upcoming fight.

“How are you two holding up?” she asked, her blue eyes darting between him and Johnny.

“Great,” he said. “All that hard work is finally gonna pay off.”

“I hope so,” she said, smiling. “Do you have anything planned afterward?”

“No, we might just grab dinner, but we haven't decided yet.”

“Okay. Well, let me know if you need me to make any reservations.”

And then she leaned forward to kiss him on the lips. His body tensed, and he forced himself to stay still as her tongue flicked over the curve of his upper lip. When she gently drew away, there was a small crease between her eyebrows.

“Thank you,” Daniel said dumbly, tingling sensation on his lips. He could see Johnny moving away in his peripheral vision.

“Okay,” Amanda said, and then she smiled, a quick flash of teeth, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Come on, Tony.”

Anthony protested, but soon they all left with Samantha and Robby to follow Lucille into the bleachers. Daniel turned back to the ring, his heart hammering in his chest. Johnny wasn’t looking at him anymore; he was flexing his hand, and watching the ripple of his knuckles with every movement of his fingers. It was so _obvious_ that he was avoiding Daniel’s gaze.

Daniel chewed on his lip, feeling like he needed to apologize. An awkward silence hung in the air, until Johnny spoke up.

“Amanda’s probably going to be happy to have you back to herself,” he said, lowering his hand and staring into the ring. “After the fight.”

There was something about his tone that didn’t sit well with Daniel. He stared at Johnny's profile for a long time before speaking.

“I'm like socks out of the dryer.”

Johnny looked at him, his brow creasing in confusion. “What?”

He ignored the rapid staccato in his ears and shrugged his shoulders. “It means you're not getting rid of me that easy.”

Johnny rolled his eyes, but there was that stupid smile on his face again. “You’re such a dork.”

“Excuse me?” he asked with a pointed look. “You're the one who spent our entire lunch yesterday quoting Rocky.”

“Yeah, and I still can’t believe it took you half an hour to get it.”

“At a moment, I actually thought you were talking about Balboa Lake,” Daniel said, laughing despite himself.

Johnny’s eyes crinkled, his chest shaking with laughter too, and Daniel loved it. He loved _this_ , how they could fall so smoothly into good-natured ribbing. He was about to suggest they re-watch Rocky together next weekend when Johnny's laughter trailed off and his eyes widened in surprised wonder.

He took off without a word.

There was a group of men huddled together at the far end of the bleachers. Johnny grabbed one of them by the back of the neck and hugged him tightly. He lifted the second man in a bear hug, his laughter reaching Daniel's ears, and then slowed down when he made it to the man in the wheelchair. He knelt in front of him and embraced him the longest, kissing him firmly on the temple. The man beamed, dimples digging into his cheeks, and that's when it hit Daniel.

These were the original Cobra Kais. It was Bobby, Jimmy, and the man in the wheelchair was Tommy.

Daniel blinked in disbelief. They looked like normal men, a far cry from the intimidating bullies they were in high-school. Tommy especially, his face was rounder and had softened considerably with age. Daniel watched as he placed both hands on Johnny's shoulders and leaned forward to whisper in his ear. Johnny titled his head and nodded every few seconds.

He turned away, sensing that it was a private moment between the two men. His eyes darted to the other end of the room, where Kreese was staring daggers at the entire group. Daniel looked back, curious to see their reaction. Only Jimmy seemed to have noticed. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Kreese, his dark eyebrows slanting in an angry frown. _Guess there's still some steel left there,_ Daniel thought to himself.

After a while, Johnny returned to his side, close enough that their arms touched. There was a smile playing on his lips.

Daryl was reprising his role as announcer for the evening. He walked into the ring, dressed to the nines in a tailor-cut gray suit, and raised the microphone to his lips.

“Welcome to the first one-on-one All-Valley Championship!”

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause.

“We’re all excited to be here today to watch two of the All-Valley’s greatest karateka face one another.” He shot a hand in Johnny's direction. “On the one hand, we have Johnny Lawrence, two-time winner of the under-18 All-Valley Tournament and current face of this year's most popular dojo Cobra Kai.” Then, he aimed his hand at Kreese. “On the other, we have John Kreese, former karate champion in the US army and founder of Cobra Kai...”

Kreese straightened himself to his full height.

“He looks like a dressed-up poodle,” Johnny muttered from the corner of his mouth.

Daniel pressed his lips together to keep himself from laughing. He returned his attention to the announcer.

“Today's match will comprise of two six-minute bouts with a one-minute resting period in between. The one who scores the most points will win the fight.” He waved Johnny and Kreese into the ring. “Gentlemen, you’ve both been informed of the rules?” They both nodded. Darryl smiled widely. “Perfect.”

Then, in a booming voice, “Now, are you all ready for the greatest fight that the All-Valley has ever seen?”

The crowd went wild with shouts and whistles. The referee was an old bald man with rectangular glasses. He motioned Johnny and Kreese to come closer to each other. Let's get into position,” he said, and then, “Bow.”

He straightened his arms in front of him. “Ready, and fight!”

It started slow, as they circled each other around the ring. For the longest time, they seemed content to just stay back and analyze one another. Kreese especially, his beady eyes scattering over Johnny's body with a familiarity that made Daniel uneasy.

It was Johnny who threw the first punch. Kreese narrowly avoided the blow, and connected his elbow with Johnny’s chest. Johnny backed off. He stayed light on his feet, and didn't let it affect him. Good thing, because he scored his first point ten seconds later.

That's how they fought for a while, each one of them striking and blocking at their own rhythm. Daniel took a moment to admire Johnny’s lithe form, the way his muscles flexed with uncoiled energy, his every movement controlled and precise. Then, he watched as Kreese aimed a circular punch at his chest. Johnny blocked it. Kreese threw up his other arm, like he expected Johnny to retaliate with a hand strike - but Johnny raised his leg and delivered a front kick to his chest. Kreese let out a grunt and staggered back. He quickly recovered and they started circling each other again.

Daniel’s eyebrows furrowed. As happy as he was with Johnny gaining points, there was something strangely unsettling about Kreese's counterattacks. He'd had a niggling feeling from the beginning, but he hadn't been able to put a finger on what it was. It happened again less than a minute later. Kreese’s fist connected with Johnny's shoulder and then like he expected Johnny to lunge forward, he whipped around to strike him with his elbow. But Johnny thrust his knee into his gut before he could connect.

It was almost as if  -

He inhaled sharply, not daring to believe it. _It wasn_ _’t possible._ The entire time, he’d been worried about Kreese having the competitive advantage - the man had trained Johnny for five years, he knew all of his strengths and weaknesses inside out - but now he realized that Kreese had never taken into account the distinct variable.

Johnny had spent the last two weeks training with Daniel, absorbing all of his moves and techniques. They had practiced so much together that their styles had somehow melded and merged into one another - and it was throwing Kreese off balance. He wasn’t used to Johnny’s new style of karate. He was growing more and more frustrated, his movements becoming stiff and jerky as he sought to fight an opponent that existed solely in the cobwebs of his mind.

Daniel huffed a laugh. This was actually happening. Johnny was going _to win_.

There were still two minutes left in the bout. Johnny was wracking up points like nobody’s business. Eventually, Kreese caught on and changed his technique, opting for fast and continuous attacks. Johnny blinked sweat out of his eyes and took it in stride, dealing with every punch, every kick as it came.

Before he knew it, the time-keeper was blowing the whistle to signal the end of the bout, and they dropped their arms in unison. Daniel checked the score: Johnny was ahead by ten points. A tendril of excitement unfurled down his spine, and he had to tense his legs to keep himself from bouncing on his feet. He grabbed a towel and a bottle of water from the sidelines and handed them to Johnny when he sprinted toward him a second later.

“You're doing great out there,” he said, as Johnny wiped his face and took a few gulps of water. “Just keep doing what you're doing, and the trophy is yours.”

Johnny hummed, and drank a little more. A frown marred his features as he stared into the ring, thinking. “Yeah, but he's starting to go a little hard on the attacks.”

“Doesn't matter, just keep pushing him back,” Daniel said, feeling it in his bones that they were going to win. “He's going to keep aiming for your torso. Just keep your elbows close.”

Johnny's gaze sharpened, but then he nodded slowly. He took one last gulp of water. When the time-keeper blew the whistle again, he gave Daniel back the bottle and returned to the ring.

They got back into position, and bowed.

“Ready, and fight!” the referee said loudly.

This time, it started wicked fast, Kreese throwing a punch within the first five seconds of the bout. He didn't give Johnny a chance to recover before he was aiming a roundhouse kick at his face.

Daniel’s good mood quickly faded, as the fight wore on and it became harder for Johnny to land a single blow. He was too busy fending off Kreese who was coming down on him like a hurricane, whirling in and out with well-aimed strikes to his body. Daniel jerked forward, when he noticed the way Kreese's muscles strained whenever he struck, almost as if he was putting all of his body weight behind his moves.

His breath hitched in realization. When Johnny had said that Kreese was going hard on him, he'd meant it _literally_. He watched as Kreese landed a kick to Johnny's ribs, and a spasm crossed Johnny's face, lightning quick.

Worry and anger twisted in Daniel's gut. At this rate, Johnny's entire body was going to be bruised.

He finally managed to push Kreese back and throw a circular punch, but before he could connect, Kreese grabbed him by the wrist - then holding him tightly in place, he twisted his body and aimed a _powerful_ kick at his shoulder with the heel of his foot.

Johnny cried out in pain and fell on all fours.

The referee blew the whistle, just as the crowd let out a collective gasp. The relative quiet that fell upon the arena was unsettling, and then absolute chaos as boos erupted from the watching crowd. Johnny pulled himself to his feet, with a hand on his shoulder, and he looked _pissed_. He lunged toward Kreese, but the referee inserted himself between them and placed a hand on his chest, holding him back.

“Okay, that’s it. Cool down, Mr. Lawrence, or I’ll have you suspended.”

Johnny bared his teeth in anger. “You gotta be kidding me. He could have dislocated my shoulder!”

“But he didn't,” the referee snapped, shoving him back. He then pointed a finger at Kreese, who stood coolly with his arms crossed over his chest. “There will be no use of excessive force, you hear me? Consider this your first and final warning.” He signaled the judge. “I'm calling a fifteen minute break for recovery time.”

“No, no, no,” Daniel said under his breath. Johnny let out a growl of frustration and stormed off in direction of the bleachers.

Daniel chased after him. “Hey,” he called out. When Johnny ignored him, Daniel caught him the wrist. “ _Hey._ ”

Johnny swung around angrily. “What?”

“Are you okay?”

“I'm _fine,_ ” he said, but he wasn’t. His entire arm was peppered with red blotches like little pinpricks of blood. Daniel tightened his grip. The anger that surged through him stunned him with its intensity. He clenched his jaw and zeroed in on the referee who stood on the other side of the ring.

He released Johnny, and marched up toward him, not caring that he was in the middle of a conversation with the judge.

“You can't just let that go.”

The referee turned around. “I’m sorry, Mr. LaRusso, I didn’t see any foul.”

He jabbed an angry finger at him. “Excessive force is prohibited. You can't just let him go with a warning, okay? There are _rules_ in this competition.”

The red-faced referee pushed his hand away and took a step forward. “Yeah, there are and I still remember thirty-four years ago when people were begging me to consider your _crane kick_ a foul.”

Daniel jerked back, and for a split-second, another face transposed itself upon the referee's, a younger, smoother version with wiry black hair and a thick mustache.

“You weren't complaining when I was so lenient back then. Now back off, LaRusso. My decision is final.”

Daniel was still reeling, when the referee returned to his conversation with the judge.

He gritted his teeth and turned on his heel, searching for Johnny in the crowd, but he was nowhere to be seen. He walked to Robby and Samantha, who were standing awkwardly by the bleachers. “Where’s Johnny?”

“He’s in the locker room,” Robby said, eyes wide with concern. “He wanted some time alone.”

Daniel let out a shaky breath and tried to reign in his emotions. There was no time for anger, not when victory was just around the corner. There were only _three minutes_ left in the bout. He watched as the crowd dispersed in search for food and drink. His eyes traveled over the room, and that's when he realized that Kreese wasn't there either. A bad feeling burrowed into his gut. He tried to ignore it, but it wedged deeper with every minute that ticked by.

“I'll be back, stay here,” he told the kids. They nodded, before returning to their conversation.

He wove his way through the parting crowd until he reached the metal doors that led to the back of the arena. The hallway was plunged in semi-darkness, but his eyes quickly adjusted. He headed toward Johnny’s locker room, his stride lengthening with every heartbeat.

The door was slightly open, a sliver of light spilling into the hallway. Daniel placed his palm on the hard surface and was about to push, when a velvety voice filtered through the crack.

“- been lying to you all along,” Daniel formed his hand into a fist, as he scrambled to understand why Kreese was in Johnny's locker room. The voice continued, “Then again, you put your guard down, and let yourself be vulnerable. This is what happens when you show weakness.”

Daniel leaned forward and strained his ear, but Johnny was being conspicuously silent. His stomach twisted in uncertainty. There was something off about this entire situation. Johnny had been practically _seething_ only five minutes before; it wasn't normal for him to be so quiet.

It was the memory of him storming out of the ring, flushed and angry, that cemented the decision for him.

He took a deep breath, and pushed through the door.

 

* * *

 

When Daniel was a child, he used to be afraid of thunder. At the first distant sounds of rumbling, his heart would start pounding in his ears and his mouth would go dry. The nights were the worst. The house would be deathly quiet except for the howl of the wind or the pitter-patter of rain on the window; and he would lie in bed, stiff as a board, with the comforter pulled up to his chin.

When the lightning came, it was always terrifying. It would light up the room, bleaching the walls, the desk, the cupboard, and then disappear just as suddenly, leaving the room in deeper darkness than before. That’s when he’d burrow into the mattress, his hairs standing on end, every muscle in his body tensing, _waiting_. Waiting for the roar of thunder to strike against his eardrums, waiting for it to reverberate in his bones. It was the silent anticipation that scared him the most; it's what took his breath away every time.

It’s how he felt now as he watched Johnny and Kreese stare each other down from across the locker room. There was a tension in the air, much like the unbreathing stillness between the lightning and the thunder. It was so thick and heavy that Daniel could taste it on the back of his tongue.

Kreese took a step toward Johnny, and his voice dropped an octave. “If you don't believe me, then why don't you ask him yourself?”

Daniel didn't dare move. Kreese shifted back on his feet, and then without so much as a glance in Daniel's direction, he sauntered past him toward the exit. Daniel barely registered the sound of the door closing behind him.

He waited. He waited with bated breath for Johnny to say a word, but he didn't. Instead, he sat down gingerly on the bench, like he had no more energy in his body, and lowered his head into his hands.

When he finally spoke, his voice was soft, almost subdued.

“When did you see Kreese?”

The words cut through Daniel like a knife. In that moment, he hated himself, more than he'd ever hated any other human being.

“The night we had dinner,” he said through numb lips.

Johnny nodded, as though it only confirmed what he thought. He dropped his hands and ground his knuckle into his opposite fist. Daniel watched his profile, as he worked his jaw back and forth, like he was chewing on his next words.

“Is that why - is that why you were looking at me like that?”

“No,” he said, and there was a desperate edge to his tone now. “That's not why. Please, Johnny, believe me.”

If only Johnny would _look_ at him - but his eyes were fixed on the floor.

“He said that he talked to you about that night,” he said, his leg started bouncing up and down like a piston. “What did he tell you?”

Daniel clenched his fists; he didn't even know where to _begin_. How could he make Johnny understand the horror that he'd felt at Kreese's revelation? How naive he’d been to believe it had been a one-time occurrence?

It didn't matter, because before he could say anything, Johnny shot to his feet, and Daniel had his first full view of his face. His eyes, once bright, were now glassy and unfocused. “Did he -” he swallowed. “Did he say that I enjoyed it?”

Daniel couldn't fucking breathe anymore. Tears rose to his eyes, hot and burning.

“Because it's not true,” Johnny said in a hard voice. His breathing started getting heavier and more labored as he spoke. “He started - after a while, he started to - with his hand -” His face drew in pain at the memory and his eyes dropped to the floor. “I don't know. Maybe - maybe he was trying to make it - to m-make it okay -”

Daniel felt like he was breaking into a thousand little pieces. Johnny didn’t need to explain any further; he _understood_.

The asshole had tried to cover up his tracks with a reach-around.

Johnny was still talking, jumbled words spilling out of him, when suddenly there was a sharp knock on the door. “Five minutes left,” a voice called out.

His voice cut off like a broken blade. He was panting like he'd run a marathon, his chest heaving with every breath. He blinked hard, as though out of a daze, and his glassy eyes focused on Daniel.

“So I'm going to ask you this one last time,” Johnny said, his voice low and rough. His lips drew over bared teeth. “Is that why you were looking at me like that?”

In that moment, Daniel realized how ill-equipped he was to deal with any of this. He'd thought he could help Johnny, that his continual support would be enough, maybe not to heal him, but at least to assuage some of his suffering. But he realized now that the damage was deeper than anything he could have ever possibly imagined.

He'd been so _stupid_ to think he could have ever been enough.

He opened his mouth, desperate to say something, anything, but he couldn't find the words. There were _no_ _words_ that could make this any better; and the longer he didn't say anything, the more Johnny's features hardened. He could see the barrier forming before his very eyes, it set up like the a great wall closing off all the expression from his face. Panic rose in Daniel's throat, and he took an abrupt step forward.

“Johnny -”

“Don't,” Johnny’s voice cracked, and a tear rolled down his cheek. “Get out.”

His breath hitched, his vision blurring. “Please, just let me explain myself -”

“Why?” Johnny belted out, and it's the first time he'd ever raised his tone at Daniel. “Afraid of what happens if you don't? Afraid for the future of your _dojo_?”

Daniel froze, tears spilling down his face.

“Yeah, Ron told me. That was Kreese's condition, right? If I lose the fight, you don’t get to open Miyagi-Do?” Daniel shook his head, wanting to deny it all, but Johnny continued speaking, “Is that why you wanted to train with me? Huh? So you could - you could fulfill your life-long dream of opening your shitty dojo? I said _get out._ ”

His throat burned with all the words that he wanted to say, but he knew deep inside that if he said one more word, Johnny was going to physically attack him. His legs were tensed, and his hands were balled into fists, so tight his knuckles were white. Daniel took a step back, feeling the first stirring of fear.

He had to leave _now_. He ignored every bone in his body that told him to stay, and turned around. He kept his composure all the way outside.

As soon as he closed the door, he leaned back against it and buried his face in his hands. He breathed in and out. He didn’t know how things could have spiraled out of control so fast. It was so crazy that for a split-second, he wondered if this was an anxiety-induced nightmare. But no, the pain in his chest was so real.

Suddenly he heard violent coughing erupt from within the locker room, followed by a loud and wet sound. Daniel straightened his back, not understanding at first. When he did, his stomach heaved and bile shot up his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut, and swallowed over and over in a desperate bid to keep it down.

When Johnny's retching quieted down to forceful spitting, Daniel opened his eyes and blinked away the darkness that hovered at the edges of his vision. He needed to go outside; he couldn't stay here. He could already hear the crowd, their quiet murmurs getting restless as they waited for the next bout to begin. He tensed his legs and forced one foot in front of the other until he was stepping through the metal doors.

The light of the arena was bright in comparison to the darkness of the hallway. Daniel could feel a tension headache brewing at the base of his neck, as he returned to his spot next to the ring.

Amanda noticed him from her seat in the bleachers, she stood up as though she was going to come down, but he shook his head. Samantha and Robby didn't take the hint; they were rapidly making their way down the stairs.

Daniel clenched his jaw and stared across the ring, where Kreese was leaning against the pillar with a smirk on his face. For a second, a blinding wave of anger swept over him, drowning all other emotion - but it passed quickly. He didn't care about Kreese anymore, not when Johnny was _hurting_ , not when he was powerless to stop it.

Darryl looked up at the clock. “Mr. Lawrence has one minute left to return to the ring. If he doesn’t return within the next minute, Mr. John Kreese will win by default.”

The crowd started getting antsier, low whispers rumbling in the bleachers and heads turning in direction of the door leading to the locker room.

“Mr. LaRusso, is everything okay?” Robby asked, breathless as he ran up to him. “Where's my dad?”

Daniel breathed slowly. He tried to get his lips to work - _he's fine, he'll be out soon_ \- but he couldn’t speak past the convulsive flutter in his throat. Robby's frown deepened and he looked like he was two seconds away from bolting, possibly to the locker room.

He opened his mouth just as the door swung open and a familiar figure came out.

The crowd cheered, as Johnny jogged into the arena. His face was pale and his sandy hair was plastered in wet strands around his temples. He didn't even look at Daniel, just went directly to the ring - and fuck it _hurt_.

Both men got into position. The referee motioned them to bow to each other. “Ready... and fight!”

It was catastrophic. Johnny was obviously distracted. All the points that he'd won in the first bout were now being rapidly taken over by Kreese. He wasn't even concentrating anymore, just mindlessly attacking with no thought whatsoever behind his moves. It was as though Johnny Lawrence had left the ring, and a usurper with only half his skill had reentered.

He watched helplessly as Kreese flipped Johnny for the third time in a row. Even the crowd didn't understand. He could hear them whispering amongst themselves, the bewilderment apparent in their faces.

“What's going on?” Samantha said in a low voice, sidling close to him. “Why isn't he picking up any cues?”

Daniel couldn't answer. It was like witnessing a train wreck; a disastrous, meaningless train wreck.

He looked at the clock and his heart jolted in his chest when he saw that there was fifty seconds left, and Kreese was only _three points behind_. All he needed was to land a single kick to Johnny's chest, and all of this would have been for nothing.

Daniel returned his attention to the ring, just as Johnny fended off a hammer fist punch from Kreese.

“Come on, Dad! We believe in you!” Robby yelled into the ring.

An idea was slowly forming in Daniel's mind, but it was so crazy and preposterous that he discarded it almost immediately. However, it cropped up again a few seconds later before he could move on to the next idea. Daniel gritted his teeth. It was their last chance. Johnny needed to do something drastic, something that even Kreese wouldn't expect.

He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Johnny, think of webbed feet!”

Daniel’s stomach twisted when Johnny didn't show any sign that he'd heard him.

There were still thirty seconds left in the fight. They continued circling each other. Kreese threw a circular punch, Johnny blocked it with his forearm, and then kicked Kreese in the chest, causing him to stagger back - twenty seconds - Kreese twisted his hip and aimed a kick at his ribs, Johnny sidestepped him - ten seconds - Johnny put a foot up in the heron stance, just as Kreese was coming toward him, then jumped and _kicked_ him in the face.

Kreese fell backward, head bouncing against the mat. Johnny snapped back and stayed on alert, arms up and ready.

Daniel held his breath, as the referee knelt down next to Kreese. The referee hit the floor once, twice, three times and then the crowd burst out in applause.

“And the winner of the first one-on-one All-Valley championship is Mr. Johnny Lawrence!”

His mouth opened in a shaky exhale. He couldn't believe it. Samantha jumped into his arms, laughing in joy. “He did it! He did it!”

He hugged her back, still in shock, and watched as Johnny’s students swarmed the ring, gathering around him in celebration. His ears rang with the force of their cries. For the longest time, Daniel couldn’t see Johnny under all the bodies.

“What an outstanding fight. Truly remarkable!” Darryl said, as he wove his way through the throngs of students. The students parted, and Johnny's solemn face appeared once again. “Mr. Lawrence, do you have any words in the wake of this amazing victory?”

Darryl handed him the microphone, and Johnny peered around the arena, as the crowd quieted down.

“Thank you everyone who came here today.” He looked at Kreese, who sneered at him before busting his way out of the building. A muscle ticked in his jaw. “It means a lot to me that you all showed up, and offered me support when I needed it the most.” Then, his shoulders hunched. “I would also like to thank someone with whom none of this would have been possible, Daniel LaRusso.”

Johnny fixed him in a blue-eyed vise, and then Samantha was pushing Daniel toward the ring. Hands grabbed at him, and the crowd dispersed until he was standing face-to-face with Johnny.

Up close, Johnny's skin was wet with perspiration, and he looked pale, almost sickly. “We went through a lot together, and I wouldn't have won this fight if it weren't for you. So for that, I thank you.”

Daniel nodded once, not knowing what else to do. There was a golden trophy in his hand, Johnny studied it for a while before speaking.

“I, uh, also have an announcement to make.” He swallowed and looked around at all his students before settling on Miguel. “As of tomorrow, I’m closing down Cobra Kai.”

There was a few shocked gasps and _What?_ and cries of displeasure. Only Miguel stayed strong in the center of them all, staring at Johnny with steel in his eyes.

“The philosophy of the dojo no longer fits with my values,” he said, his voice shaking with emotion. “Mercy shouldn’t be withheld, and as your sensei, I feel that it was my responsibility to teach you that. I failed in that regard. Right now… I need some time for myself to figure things out. I’m sorry if I’m disappointing anyone, but I’m going to take a step back from karate.”

Then he shoved the microphone in the announcer's hand, like he wanted to get rid of it and wiped his forehead with his wrist.

But Miguel was having none of it, he leaned forward and snatched the microphone back from the announcer. Johnny's body tensed, as Miguel straightened to his full height.

“Whatever your choice is,” Miguel said, his eyebrows set in a determined frown. “We respect it. In all cases, you will always be Sensei Lawrence to us.”

And then his arm shot into the air and he started chanting, “Sen-sei Lawrence! Sen-sei Lawrence!” and soon, the whole audience was chanting with him, their cries echoing in the arena.

“Sen-sei Lawrence! Sen-sei Lawrence!”

After a few seconds, Johnny's shoulders slumped and he drew Miguel into a hug. The crowd broke into a cheer, sounds of happiness ringing into the air. Soon, reporters were squeezing their way into the circle, and Johnny was being interviewed left and right.

“Valley Morning Sun, can we please have an interview, Mr. Lawrence -”

“No, we were here first. Reseda News, could you give us a minute -”

Daniel was pushed back out of the ring, until he could no longer see Johnny under the mass of bodies.

 

* * *

 

He was helping Lucille into the car, when he noticed Bobby staring at him thoughtfully from across the parking lot. Their eyes connected, and Bobby tilted his head in a clear sign that he wanted to talk.

“I'll see you all later,” Daniel said, tapping the roof of the car.

They bid him good night, and he waited until the tail light of Amanda's car disappeared at the bend of the road before walking up to Bobby. The man had a soft smile on his face; he grabbed Daniel's hand and shook it firmly.

“Daniel LaRusso, thanks for taking care of my boy.”

“It was nice of you to come,” he said, squeezing Bobby's hand before releasing it. “I can see that he appreciated it.”

“I hope so. We broke Tommy out of the hospital just to be here,” he said with a wicked glint in his eye.

Daniel smiled, but he wasn’t sure that it reached his eyes. They stood in silence for a few seconds.

“I was a little surprised when I saw the two of you,” Bobby said, and then he hesitated. “You seem close.”

“Yeah,” he said, his stomach twisting. “So? You seem close too.”

Bobby didn't notice the bite in his tone, or he chose to ignore it.

“You'd think that, wouldn't you?” he asked, smiling sadly. “That we’d be thick as thieves after everything we've been through.”

He didn't understand. “What?”

Bobby watched him closely like he was gauging his intentions. Then, he shrugged his shoulders in resignation. “Things changed after Johnny dropped out of high-school.”

Daniel's entire body tensed.

“You thought that he changed schools,” Bobby said in question. At Daniel's jerky nod, he let out a sigh. “That's what his step-father told everyone, but no, he dropped out.” He shrugged again and spoke slowly, like he was weighing his words. “Something changed after the All-Valley Tournament. Johnny, he just retreated into his shell, and next thing we knew, we'd all gone to college. We met our wives, I met God. Not Johnny. We didn't really hear about him until a few years ago.”

Daniel's heart was aching all over again. Bobby's features softened. “Though he does look better than ever before, and that's thanks to you.”

No, it’s like he was never there. _I ruined everything,_ he wanted to scream.

“Come on, Bobby!” Jimmy called from across the parking lot. Tommy was already in the car, his wheelchair folded and packed in the trunk.

Bobby signaled him with his hand, and then dimpled a cheek. “We need to go before the hospital calls a Code Yellow.”

Daniel shook his hand again and before he left, Bobby turned around one last time. “Oh, and hey, Daniel?”

He raised his eyebrows in question.

“Sorry about the leg,” Bobby said sheepishly.

He watched as Bobby hurried to the car. There was a heaviness in his chest that he couldn't shake off. Johnny's car was still in the parking lot, so he hadn't left yet. Daniel chewed the inside of his cheek, unsure about what to do next. Johnny's speech, while not immediate absolution, made him think that he could still redeem himself. He _wanted_ to redeem himself.

So, with that resolve in mind, he headed toward the front of the building, sat down on a metal bench, and waited.

At first, he whipped around every time the entrance door swung open. But spectators were still trickling out of the arena and at the rate at which they were bursting through the door, Daniel was going to end up with a very painful crick in the neck. So he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, and tried his best to ignore the metal clang of the door.

He thought back to everything that had happened so far. Bobby's words swirled around in his mind, making him realize once again the enormity of what had happened to Johnny. That coupled with Johnny's revelation in the locker room - Daniel breathed slowly through his nose. He hated to admit it, but he was _scared_. Scared of what else might be hiding in the dark recesses of Johnny's mind, what else could spring up at any moment like a horrific game of Jack-in-a-box.

He was also afraid of looking too closely at the cocktail of emotions warring inside of him, because there was one emotion that stood out, and that he could no longer deny. Despite all his misgivings, he _wanted_ Johnny. He wanted him with a visceral intensity that shook him to his core. He didn’t think it was possible to ever feel this way about somebody else.

Finally, the door swung open, and instead of happy voices and laughter, Daniel heard the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps. A long shadow fell over him. He looked up; it was Johnny.

He quickly got to his feet, taking in his freshly scrubbed skin and the change of clothes. Johnny scanned the area like he wasn't sure whether Daniel was alone.

“Everyone's gone,” Daniel said softly. Johnny's eyes snapped to his face, and he nodded. He looked tired, bags under his eyes and lines around the corner of his mouth.

Daniel's heart still pulsed at the sight of him.

“You were amazing out there.”

At first, he didn’t think Johnny was going to reply. He just stared at Daniel, his blue eyes boring into him. Daniel’s face heated as the words hung between them.

Johnny's jaw worked. “Thanks.”

They were just a few feet apart, but in that moment, it felt like a entire gulf stood between them. Daniel took a deep breath.

“Johnny -”

“No,” Johnny said quietly.

Daniel was taken aback. “You don’t even know -”

“I do, and I said no.”

“Please, just give me one -”

“ _Daniel,_ ” Johnny said, louder. He winced, like he hadn't expected to say his name, and rubbed the back of his head. Then, in a quieter voice, “I don't wanna talk about it.”

Daniel sank his teeth into his lips, as blood rushed through his ears. How was he supposed to redeem himself when Johnny wasn't even giving him a chance to explain himself? He was about to ask when a kid who didn't look older than six years old ran up to Johnny.

“Sensei, can I have your autograph?”

Johnny's posture eased, and he dropped his duffel bag on the ground. “Sure, buddy,” he said, taking his paper and pen.

The kid was bouncing on his feet, he hadn't even noticed that he'd barged in on a charged moment. “I hope I can be just as cool as you when I grow up.”

Johnny's lips quirked in a small smile, but it lacked the usual warmth. He gave him back the signed autograph and ruffled his hair before he ran off to his mother, who stood a little further away.

When he turned back to Daniel, the smile slowly died on his lips, and a wary look came to his eyes. Daniel never thought he'd ever see that expression directed at him.

“What are you going to do now?” Daniel asked, trying to ignore the painful pang in his chest.

“Sleep,” Johnny replied.

But they both knew that's not what Daniel meant. Johnny wasn't giving him an inch.

“Okay,” Daniel said hoarsely. He wasn't going to push it. “I hope you have a good night's sleep.”

“Yeah,” Johnny said, finally dropping his eyes. His lips were slightly down-turned. “Thanks.”

And then he was swinging the bag over his shoulder and heading toward his car. Daniel shifted on his feet and watched him cross the parking lot. He kept hoping that Johnny would look back over his shoulder, just a single glance to prove that things were _good_ between them.

But he didn’t. He just climbed into his car, and started the engine. Daniel breathed through the pain, as Johnny reversed out of the parking spot and drove off into the night.

It was okay, he told himself. Johnny was going to sleep, and tomorrow he was going to wake up and realize how much Daniel truly cared about him. If not, Daniel would give him a few more days to figure it out, and then he’d call him and suggest that they go out for a _real_ celebratory dinner.

Daniel cradled the little seedling of hope in his chest, he protected it from the more logical part of his brain that told him that something had irrevocably broken between them. The part of his brain that told him that the reason that Johnny had been staring at him so intensely was because he was trying to burn Daniel's face into his memory.

No, a voice screamed inside of him. They hadn't come this far just to cancel everything in one day.

Things were going to work out. They _had to._

 

* * *

He didn't see Johnny for seven months after that.


	8. Old Snows Melt

During those seven months, Daniel's entire life fell apart.

He didn't realize it at first, too busy trying to get some semblance of normality back into his life. He returned to the office shortly after the fight, determined to catch up on all the work that he’d missed during his two-week hiatus. Amanda gave him the space that he needed, and he was grateful for it. He fully intended on having a serious talk with her, but there were a few things that he needed to do first.

Like make sure that Kreese had respected his end of the bargain. There was good news there. A visit to the man's last known address, a homeless shelter in the rough side of Reseda, told him that Kreese had left the city the day after the fight.

As for Johnny, Daniel thought that he'd hear from him within a few days. But when a week passed by without any news from him, he started to worry.

So, he bit the bullet and picked up the phone. The line rang a few times before going to voice mail. Daniel shut the phone before he could leave a message. He swiped his finger over the screen, and bit his lip. It's okay, he told himself. Johnny was probably just busy.

Daniel tried a second time that afternoon, but it went to voice mail again. Then, the morning after, same result. By then, the knot in his stomach had turned into cold dread. When Johnny didn't answer on the fifth try, he broke down and called Robby. He didn't think it was that big a deal until the line went very silent.

“I’m sorry, Mr. LaRusso. I don’t know what happened between the two of you at the Championship. Just - I think my Dad needs some space. He needs some time for himself.”

Daniel stared at his desk. _How much time?_ he wanted to ask. _A couple of days? A few weeks?_

But Robby was just a kid. He didn't need to be in the middle of any of this.

“Okay. Yeah, sure. Tell him to call me if he needs anything. Same goes for you. You need anything, give me a call, alright?”

Robby thanked him, and then the conversation ended there.

The rest of the day was a blur of sales meetings and conference calls. He had the hardest time concentrating, his mind replaying the conversation with Robby over and over again. On his way home, he drove by Cobra Kai, but Johnny had stayed true to his word: the place was already up for rent.

He should have felt relief; Johnny was okay, he was _safe_. He'd won the All-Valley Championship, and Kreese had left for good.

But all Daniel felt was the certainty that he'd fucked everything up.

 

* * *

 

His anxiety grew with each passing day. It coiled around his veins, contracting and clenching like a fist; and he couldn’t do anything about it, because Johnny was on his mind. All. The Time. From the second he woke up in the morning until the moment he closed his eyes at night.

Johnny's sun-kissed faced in the sun. The crinkle around his eyes when he smiled. His raspy soft voice.

The way Johnny had talked to him in the locker room, words tearing out of his throat like jagged blades.

How he’d looked at Daniel in the parking lot.

Cold. Impassive. _Hurt_.

The images haunted him, day after day. A constant stream of memories, thoughts and regrets, slithering their way through his mind and nestling in the crooks and crannies of his consciousness.

It wasn't long before the nightmares began.

He hadn't been there that fateful night on the beach, but the events were forever etched into his soul, intertwined in the webs of his psyche.

Sometimes, he saved Johnny by grabbing Kreese by the back of his jacket and punching him in the face. Other times, he stood frozen, a helpless spectator with his jaw glued shut and his feet mired in wet cement. Those nights, he woke up drenched in sweat, his heart pounding furiously and a feeling of terror that took hours to shake off.

Eventually, the dread started to bleed into the day.

“When are we going to talk?” Amanda’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

Daniel blinked hard; he didn’t even remember zoning out. He looked around, he was sitting behind his desk with a sales report under his fingers and an ache in his jaw. Amanda stood in front of him with her hands on her hips.

When he finally registered her words, his throat tightened.

“I told you I just need some time,” he said in a controlled voice.

“You’ve been needing time for two months now,” she said. Her hair was frazzled, and there were tight lines around her mouth. “Daniel, you can’t keep avoiding me. We need to talk.”

“Amanda - “

“Did something happen with Johnny?” Amanda cut him off, her eyebrows drawing into a determined frown. Daniel's nostrils flared and he stared down at the desk. “Because - I have a feeling it's about him. You haven’t seen him since the fight, and you’re not sleeping, you’re not eating. There's something going on.”

He breathed slowly through his nose, trying to push down the panic that was quickly rising in his throat. When he didn’t reply, she took a step forward. “Hey. We need to _talk_ about this.”

And just like that, all the doubts and fears that he’d been repressing shot to the surface. This was his wife of seventeen years, his business partner, and the mother of his children. They were Danny and Mandy, partners in crime, and in more ways than one. He could never repay her back for everything that she'd done, all the sacrifices that she'd made.

Daniel recognized the feeling inside of him. Shame. It was hard enough coming to terms with his feelings for Johnny, but to hurt _Amanda_ , of all people - the thought was unconceivable.

So he pressed his lips together and fingered the corner of the page, folding it and then smoothing out the creases. It was a cop-out, he knew it. But he didn't know what else to do.

After a while, Amanda made a frustrated sound and left, heels clacking against the floor.

When he got home that evening, Lucille was sitting on the sofa, with her hands on her knees and a sad look in her eyes. Daniel left the house as soon as Johnny's name touched her lips.

She did it over and over again until eventually, she stopped trying.

 

* * *

 

Around the third month, Daniel’s fear and helplessness blended into white-hot rage, and he became angry, so fucking angry.

At Kreese, at Miyagi, at _himself_. In his darkest moments, he was also angry at Johnny. Daniel had taken two weeks out of his life to train him for the fight, and Johnny couldn't even give him two minutes to explain himself?

The anger grew inside of him like a tumor. It was a welcome change to the fear that had been grinding him down, stripping him off his defenses. Now he walked around the office, fuming and bulldozing anybody that got into his way. Amanda looked at him like he'd gone mad, but he didn't care. He finally had something to hold on to. It was dark and gritty, but it helped him survive through the day.

Up until the moment he saw a client with black beady eyes or he caught a whiff of acrid smoke, and then the anger snuffed out of him like a flame without air.

Only for the cycle to repeat itself the next day.

 

* * *

 

There was a picture of Johnny on Daniel’s phone; Miguel had sent it him while they were scouring bars in search of him.

He’d completely forgotten about it.

Now, his grip tightened on the phone as he stared at it. He traced over the shape of Johnny’s lips, his long nose, the way his black _gi_ opened a little at the collar.

It threw acid on the gaping wound in his chest.

 

* * *

 

The nightmares started to diminish around the fourth month, but he still couldn’t sleep. He lay awake in bed almost every night, staring up at the ceiling, until he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer and he passed out from sheer exhaustion.

Tonight, Amanda was curled up on her side with her hand tucked underneath her cheek. They’d fought again before going to bed. It was the same old argument but this time she'd said something different.

 _I think we should go to couple_ _’s counseling._

Daniel had held back his tongue. No amount of couple's counseling was going to help him. For God’s sake, he had feelings for _another man._ It wasn’t something that could just be talked out or swept under the rug.

Now, in the dead silence of the room, his thoughts were louder than ever, and he realized that things were never going get better. What he needed was closure. If he just had a sign that Johnny was okay, then maybe he could finally move on with his life.

All he wanted was _one_ sign.

There was that niggling thought at the edge of his mind again; he pushed it away. No, he couldn't. He'd promised himself that he wouldn't. But -

He felt so desperate. His insides were aching with the need to see Johnny, to make sure that he was okay. To make sure he was _whole_.

Daniel clenched his jaw.

Fuck it.

In a flurry of movement, he threw off the duvet and climbed out of bed. He quickly slipped on a jogging suit and shoes. The voice inside his head was screaming now - _it's 3 o'clock in the morning, you shouldn't be doing this_ \- but he clamped down on it. He locked the front door quietly behind him and jogged to the car.

_I'm sorry that I lied._

Those were going to be the first words out of his mouth. That, and _please forgive me._ He kept repeating them in his head like a mantra, over and over again.

The streets were empty at this hour, except for a few late-night party-goers. It took less than ten minutes to get to Reseda, and his grip tightened on the wheel when Johnny's cream-colored complex came into view. His entire body was shaking with adrenaline by the time he threw the shift in park. He got out of the car, and took a deep breath, before heading toward Johnny's apartment.

The words were burning, like a white-hot pulse in his throat. Daniel was going to say them. He was finally going to get fucking closure -

He saw the sign on the door.

_Apartment for rent._

He bent down and threw up on the ground.

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t a surprise when Amanda finally asked him to move out. It was a long time coming, there was only so much she could take without taking a stand of her own.

So Daniel packed his bags and went to Miyagi-Do.

The first night, he lay on the bare mattress wondering when the hell his life had turned to shit. It was a singular moment of lucidity, a glimpse into the jungle of his mind that told him that what he was going through wasn’t normal.

It was a jarring thought, but not enough to snap him out of this state. Because he was still _functional_. He woke up in the morning, had breakfast, went to work, returned to the dojo, had dinner and then went to sleep.

He continued to see Amanda and the kids once a week for dinner. Though he could feel them slipping away, like sand sifting through his fingers.

This was how he survived for the next few months. In a sort of limbo. Knowing that he needed help, but not asking for it.

By the time the divorce papers came in, he no longer felt guilt or shame.

He didn't feel anything at all.

 

* * *

 

There was a guy in the vegetable aisle.

There was a guy in the vegetable aisle holding a yam in one hand and a sweet potato in the other.

Daniel stared at him, as he slowly replaced the frozen pizza back into the fridge. From the back, the guy looked tall with sandy hair and wide shoulders; he wore a plain black t-shirt and light blue jeans. Daniel continued to watch him, as he inched away little by little from the frozen aisle. The man replaced the yam on the stall and concentrated on the sweet potato, his long fingers turning it around, checking for signs of spoilage.

It couldn’t be him, Daniel _knew_ that. Johnny would rather be caught dead than be seen buying vegetables. But he had a feeling, it took hold of him and he couldn't seem to shake it off. If only the guy would turn his head, just slightly to the left, then Daniel could actually get a good look at his face. He continued his slow trek down the aisle. Just _a little -_

He grunted, when he bumped into something hard and a nearby voice exclaimed, “Oh!”

An old woman stood next to him with splayed arms and a stricken look on her face; the entire content of her bag had spilled to the floor.

In a panic, Daniel's eyes snapped back to the vegetable aisle; the guy was turning his head, searching for the source of disturbance. Daniel had a split-second to notice vibrant blue eyes before he dropped to the floor in a crouch.

His heart was beating a hundred miles per hour. It was Johnny. It was goddamn _Johnny_. Blood rushed to his ears in a roar, and his head pounded with the deafening echo of his thoughts.

 _It_ _’s him it's him it's him._

Through it all, the lady's voice cracked like a whip.

“Excuse me, are you just going to _sit_ there?”

Daniel made a sound in his throat, suddenly remembering where he was. He leaned forward on his knees and started gathering all the spilled items on the floor, his movements short and precise. He stuffed them one by one into the lady's tote bag.

When he heard heavy footsteps behind him, he knew exactly who it was. It couldn't have been anybody else. He put the last apple in the bag and stood up, all but shoving it back into the lady’s hands. She left in an angry huff.

This was the moment he'd been waiting for. He'd thought about it almost every day for the past seven months. But now, as he steeled himself and turned around, he realized that imagining and seeing were two very different things, because nothing could have prepared him for the sight of Johnny.

He looked _amazing_.

Bright blue eyes and sandy hair that was tousled in all the right places. Smooth jaw, and skin a healthy peach color. Whereas he’d been losing weight before the fight, now he filled out nicely, the fabric of his t-shirt stretching out against his broad chest. Daniel had been wrong about the shirt; it wasn't plain, there was a faded picture of Metallica on the front.

He looked up just in time to see Johnny's eyes darting all over him, his eyebrows furrowing into a frown. Daniel realized suddenly how shitty he looked in comparison. He hadn't showered in three days, much less shaved, and he was pretty sure there was a ketchup stain on the front of his shirt.

Daniel pushed past the shame. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Johnny said, still watching him closely. “How you been?”

“Good, good,” he said, proud that his voice sounded even to his own ears. “It's been a while.” Seven months and three days. “You?”

“I'm good.”

“Great. That’s great.”

Daniel didn't know how to feel about Johnny's appearance. He'd spent the last seven months alternating between anger and despair. Perhaps, because a part of him had always believed that Johnny was withering away in a bar, alone and depressed. But now he realized that he couldn't have been further from the truth.

Johnny’s shoulder moved as he readjusted the basket in his hand, and Daniel's attention was drawn to the fresh foods inside.

“You cooking tonight?” Daniel asked.

“Yeah. Robby and Miguel are coming over for dinner. I found a recipe for a sweet potato casserole. I thought I’d try it out.”

“So… Robby doesn't live with you anymore?”

“He does,” Johnny said, though he seemed slightly surprised at the question, but how would Daniel know? He hadn't talked to Robby in nearly half a year. “He lives between me and his mom.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. How are Amanda and the kids?”

Daniel's face heated, and his eyes dropped to the floor. He licked his lips, his throat feeling suddenly dry and parched. “We’re, uh, getting a divorce.”

There was a beat of silence. “What?”

“Yeah, things weren't working out,” he said, feeling his shoulders hunch despite himself.

This time, the ensuing silence lasted longer. Daniel looked back up. Johnny seemed like he was warring with himself, his jaw working back and forth. Probably thinking about the fastest way to get out of this conversation. Daniel hated it, could already feel the upcoming sting of rejection.

“Okay well, I gotta go,” Daniel said, because there was no point in waiting for Johnny to say it out loud. “It was nice seeing you.”

And then with self-control he didn't know he had, he turned around and walked away.

He didn't take ten steps before Johnny's voice called out to him.

“Daniel, wait.”

He stopped in his tracks. Johnny jogged up to him, and there was a determined set to his jaw now. “Come have dinner tonight.”

It took him a few seconds to get his lips moving. “What?”

“Dinner. Eight o'clock.”

“Johnny -”

“Here’s my address,” Johnny said, taking out a small notepad and pen. There was a list of ingredients on the first page, he flipped it over and scribbled something quickly on the second page, before ripping it out. “Take it.”

Daniel took the paper with numb fingers, and glanced down. It was an address in the new part of Reseda.

“I’ll see you tonight?” Johnny asked.

He waited for Daniel to nod, which he did so in a daze, and then he was off between the aisles of the supermarket.

 

* * *

 

By the time night came, Daniel was a nervous wreck. He was half convinced that he’d imagined the whole encounter; the only proof that he hadn't was the scribbled address on the paper that he’d tucked carefully in his wallet.

He showered, shaved and then stood in front of his closet, agonizing over what to wear. He'd completely blown the first meeting, and he hoped that he could make a better second impression. He settled for a dark gray shirt and a pair of blue jeans. They hung a little low on his waist, but he didn’t have any other choice. None of his pants fit anymore.

When Daniel arrived to Johnny's place, he was sure that he'd mistyped the address in his navigation app. The area was nice, much nicer than Johnny's old apartment in Reseda Heights. He climbed out of the car and walked to the front door, taking in the carefully manicured lawn and the sitting area on the patio. When he rang the doorbell, he half-expected a stranger to open the door to tell him he'd gotten the wrong place.

The door swung open, and Johnny stood there, dressed in jeans and a dark blue button-down shirt.

“Come in, I just need to take the food out of the oven,” Johnny said, before disappearing back into the house.

Daniel stayed frozen for a few moments, his heart racing in his chest.

He didn't really believe it before, but this was actually happening.

He stepped inside, quickly taking in the interior of the apartment. At first sight, it seemed like he was the only one there. The living room was an open room that shared its space with the dining area. The furniture was simple enough: sofa, armchair, coffee table. Daniel zeroed in on a small bonsai tree that sat on a bench in the corner of the room. He felt his chest tighten; it looked a lot like one of the trees from his garden shed.

The smell of melted cheese wafted through the air, catching his attention. He went to the kitchen, where Johnny was removing a pan from the oven, and placing it on the counter.

“Johnny, it looks great,” Daniel said, and it did. Perfectly melted cheese over mounds of sweet potato and what looked like sausage. “When did you start cooking?”

“A few months ago,” Johnny said, as he removed a second tray from the oven. It was chicken wings. “Got tired of eating pizza from the 7-Eleven.”

Daniel couldn't even remember the last time he'd made a home-cooked meal. He pushed down the wave of shame and leaned against the counter. “Need any help?”

“Could you set the table? The plates are next to the sink.”

Daniel nodded, and headed toward the sink, his steps slowing down at the sight of the plates. He swallowed thickly, and slanted a glance in Johnny's direction.

“Why are there only two plates?” he asked, in a voice that he hoped sounded casual.

Johnny's movements only stuttered a little. “Robby and Miguel canceled.”

Daniel bit his lip. He took the plates and went to place them on the table. After a little searching, he found the cutlery and the glasses. Johnny brought out the pans and sat at the end of the table, while Daniel sat perpendicular to him. It was awkward at first, as they ate together in silence.

Until Johnny opened his mouth and said, “I heard that REO Speedwagon is touring in Bakersfield.”

And just like that, he broke the ice. It turned out that they had a lot to talk about without referring to karate. Either that, or they were just really good at skirting around the elephant in the room.

The conversation did become stilted at times, but it didn’t bother Daniel. He told himself that it was normal. They hadn’t seen each other in half a year, they were bound to hit a few snags along the way.

Otherwise, Daniel really enjoyed the food. Sure, the chicken wings needed salt, and the sweet potatoes were slightly under-cooked, but after months of living off frozen pizzas and TV dinners, he was grateful for any meal that didn't come out of a box.

“Want some water?” Johnny asked when they were done eating.

Daniel put down his fork and grabbed his glass. “Yeah, sure.”

Johnny nodded, and he got up. His movements were sure and slow, as he got a bottle of water from the fridge. He opened it, and poured it into Daniel's glass.

“Thanks,” Daniel said, once he'd filled it to the top.

Johnny filled his own glass, and when he sat down, Daniel went still - very, very still.

A grim look darkened Johnny's features, and Daniel recognized it immediately. It was the same look that Johnny had worn when he'd first told Daniel about Kreese. And then again after his breakdown during training.

The last time he'd seen it was in the locker room of the All-Valley Arena.

In a sudden moment of lucidity, Daniel realized that Robby and Miguel probably _hadn't_ canceled; Johnny had simply asked them not to come. Daniel braced himself, and when Johnny spoke again, his words only confirmed Daniel's thoughts.

“I'm sorry for the way I treated you after the fight.”

Daniel didn't dare breathe. It wasn't at all what he'd expected.

“I was... in a very bad place after what happened with Kreese in the locker room, and I - I took it out on you. I shouldn't have. My problem wasn't with you. It never was.”

Daniel’s throat tightened painfully. He'd spent the past seven months blaming himself entirely for what had happened between them. For Johnny to say that it wasn't his fault -

“Where were you?” The words tore out of his throat, unbidden, and he hated how weak he sounded, how broken.

Johnny frowned down at the table, like he didn’t understand the question.

“What happened to you after the fight? Why - why did it seem like you'd suddenly disappeared from the face of the earth?”

Johnny pressed his lips together, and Daniel worried that he'd offended him. But then he realized that Johnny was just gearing himself up for what he was going to say next.

“After the fight,” he started uncertainly, his eyes glazing over. “I was so angry, and I didn't want to go home. So, I went to a bar…”

And then Johnny told him the whole story.

After the fight, he’d gone to a bar and gotten so hammered that he'd blacked out on his way out the door. The barman must have called an ambulance, because he’d woken up half an hour later in the ER just as they were pumping his stomach. Johnny remembered the angry determination of the nurses that night, the pain of having a tube being forced down his throat. Before he knew it, he'd passed out again.

When he woke up, Carmen was there. As Johnny continued talking, it quickly became clear that she was the real hero that night.

“She called Robby and made sure that he had a place to stay at her house. She also called Shannon and told her to get on the first flight back to California. Then, I must have passed out again, because when I woke up, Carmen was there again... but with a friend.” He bit his lip, as he mulled over his next words. “I had some alcohol left in me, so my mind wasn't all there, but I still remember what she said to me. She said that sometimes, events happen in our lives that are outside of our control, and there's nothing we can do about that... But what we can do is control the way we react to these events.”

Johnny paused, and he traced a finger back and across against the condensation on his glass.

Suddenly, he looked up and his eyes locked with Daniel. “I’ve been seeing Tracy once a week for five months now.”

Daniel didn't understand at first. His eyes searched Johnny, taking in the slightly hunched shoulders and the nervous tic in his jaw, and that’s when it dawned on him. He was seeing a _therapist_. When Johnny saw his face light up with realization, he flushed and dropped his eyes back to the table.

“She’s not weird like all those other therapists you hear about. No healing stones or shit like that. I didn't even want to see her at first, I wasn't convinced. I went to one appointment just to make Carmen happy. But then... Sid died and I - I couldn't handle it anymore. That was a whole other can of worms, and it was just - it was too much. It took me three more trips to the ER to realize that I couldn't go on living like this... and as much as I hate to admit it, Tracy's not bad. She helped me process my feelings about Kreese, about karate,” he paused, and then those blue eyes looked up. “About you.”

Daniel’s heart was hammering in his chest. Johnny released his glass and placed his hands palm down on the table.

“You were really good to me. You were there when I needed you the most and I wanted to thank you for that. I wouldn’t have been able to face my demons without you.”

Daniel clenched his fist to keep himself from reaching out for Johnny's hand. “You don’t need to thank me. Those are basic human emotions.”

“Not where I come from,” Johnny said, and Daniel thought about the meaning behind that. Before he could ask, Johnny glanced at the clock in the corner of the room. “Enough sissy talk. MacGyver is on in five. What do you say we catch an episode?”

It was an abrupt end to the conversation, but Daniel didn't push it. He agreed, and they ended up watching two episodes together. Daniel was unable to focus on the story though, too busy reeling over Johnny's revelation. He kept sneaking looks at Johnny, but he seemed relaxed, head stretched back on the sofa as he watched TV with heavy eyelids.

When the clock hit midnight, Daniel excused himself, and Johnny walked him to the door.

Once outside, he bit his lip uncertainly. Usually, this was the moment he said something stupid like -

“We should do something next week.”

Daniel blinked. He was sure he was dreaming, because that sounded a lot like Johnny's voice. Yes. Yes, it was. Daniel didn't know what look he had on his face, but it made Johnny's lips twitch in amusement.

“Yeah, sure, of course,” he said quickly. “I'd love that.”

Johnny's blue eyes shined with mirth, and Daniel felt alive for the first time in months.

 

* * *

 

Easy in each other's company, they fell into the habit of spending time together every weekend. Johnny continued to practice his cooking skills on Daniel, and Daniel remained a willing participant. He gave Johnny a few pointers here and there, sometimes he even came over earlier to help him prep the meal. But for the most part, Johnny insisted on doing everything himself. Watching him work around the kitchen, trimming the fat off the steak, dicing up the potatoes, Daniel realized that there was something therapeutic about his new hobby.

Johnny looked happy and less troubled than Daniel had ever seen him before. He’d never realized the weight that Johnny carried on his shoulders.

That being said, Johnny wasn’t always in a good mood; especially those days after his appointment with Tracy. It turned out that she was a cognitive behavioral therapist. Her job was to help Johnny change his emotional response to certain triggers. Once Daniel understood that, he started to see it work in real time. Some days, Johnny clammed up like a shell, when anything remotely Kreese-related was brought up. Other days, he mentioned his name casually, like the man hadn't destroyed his life and left him bloody and broken on a beach. But with time and therapy, his reactions started becoming less extreme, and more balanced. It was proof that he was dealing with his emotions one day at a time.

As the weeks rolled by, Daniel also learned more about Johnny during those missing seven months.

First of all, he stopped drinking. Daniel only realized three weeks into their reunion, when Johnny still hadn't offered anything other than water or soda during dinner. It was a huge relief to Daniel. He didn't need to worry about Johnny drinking himself into an early grave anymore.

Second, Johnny had become very close to Carmen. She'd really proved herself that night at the ER. Daniel couldn't tell if Johnny had told her the truth about Kreese, but she obviously knew more than he let on. Daniel would be lying if he said he wasn't a little bit jealous, but his gratitude trumped any resentment that he might have held over their weekly get-togethers. He was so thankful that somebody had cared enough for Johnny to get him some help; even if that person wasn't him.

Finally, Johnny was still _Johnny_. Yeah, he'd started cooking, and he was seeing a therapist, but he was still as annoying and obnoxious as he was before the fight. He still ate with his mouth open, talked about Iron Eagle way too much, and played pranks like a ten-year old. Also, despite the fact that they were the same height, he still teased Daniel about his size, calling him every height-related slur under the sun.

As the days became longer and warmer, something started building between them. A healthier, better relationship; one that wasn’t based on rivalry or karate - and Daniel _liked_ it. Johnny seemed to like it too. There wasn't room for much talking before the fight, especially with Kreese looming over their heads, but now he asked Daniel all sorts of questions: about his childhood, his job, his family life. Sometimes he even texted Daniel, little nuggets like -

_I just saw a 80 year old man wearing a Metallica t-shirt. Rock on dude!_

_What the hell is a shallot?_

_Can't wait for tonight. It's gonna be AWESOME._

That was the last message he’d received from Johnny.

Daniel knew that he was talking about the Rocky marathon at the AMC, but it didn't stop his heart from skipping a beat all the same. Seeing Johnny had become the highlight of his week, and there was a little part of him that wished that Johnny felt the same way too.

There were signs though, that things weren't as “platonic” as they seemed. Like how Johnny's entire face lit up at the sight of him whenever they met. Or the way he kept finding reasons to _touch_ Daniel. He wondered if Johnny even realized it, the way he leaned into Daniel whenever they stood next to each other, or how his fingers sometimes lingered a little too long when he passed the salt.

It was like the three days before the Championship all over again. They were engaged in a tentative dance, but this time the song was playing with no end in sight. The future spread out like a sea in front of them, an uncharted territory full of possibilities.

Also, the divorce with Amanda was almost final. It turned out there was a reason why the auditor kept sending out Anoush on useless errands, and it had nothing to do with the audit. When Daniel found out, he didn't hit the roof. There was no proof that Amanda had cheated on him. But it removed any residual guilt that he felt at falling for Johnny.

As summer crawled to an end, an idea slowly grew in his mind. It was crazy and preposterous, but it took hold of him like a fever, until it was all he could think about.

He tested the idea by dropping off-handed comments around Johnny like _Did you hear that Topanga was opening a new dojo on Tampa Avenue?_ and _Summer vacation is almost over. Kids are gonna be restless._ Johnny hummed every time, eyes fixed on whatever task he was engaged in, but after a while, Daniel started to see a new emotion bloom behind his features. It was cautious, but it was there, clear as day.

_What if._

It was enough to cement Daniel's decision. If Johnny could even ask himself that question, then it wasn't too far-fetched.

So, he got to work.

 

* * *

 

Daniel was _nervous_. His hands were clammy, and sweat was pooling in his lower back. He tugged at the collar of his shirt, hating the way it stuck to his skin. It didn't escape Johnny's notice. He frowned at the start of dinner and without a word went to adjust the temperature of the AC. Daniel didn't say anything to stop him.

He was a little quieter during the meal, but Johnny didn't seem to mind. He was on a roll, remembering every 80s movies he'd watched as a kid, and going into excruciating detail about the merits and short-comings of each one. He continued talking, even as they finished eating, and Daniel filled the dishwasher while Johnny put the leftover briskets in a tupperware.

They were the perfect picture of domesticity, except for the hard knot in Daniel's belly.

“- and you know, people call it a Terminator ripoff, but they're full of shit. The movie stands on its own. Yeah, sure, the costumes are a bit low grade and the fight scenes are corny, but what do you expect? It wasn't a huge blockbuster movie when it came out, it had a small budget. The problem is that people are so spoiled now their computers. They think that everything has to be perfectly animated. I mean, does everything have to be about graphics? What happened to just watching a movie because you like the story?”

The pause told Daniel that he was waiting for an answer.  He dried his hands on the towel, and turned to Johnny.

“I have a surprise for you,” Daniel said, and Johnny's gaze sharpened.

“What is it?” he asked in an even tone.

“It's a surprise,” he said again, quietly. “We have to take the car though.”

Johnny studied him with a frown, and Daniel stayed tall in the face of his scrutiny. He must have realized that he wasn't going to get any more information, because he stored the tupperware in the fridge, and then turned to Daniel.

“Okay then. Lead the way.”

Daniel checked his pockets for his keys, and nodded to himself when he felt them jiggle against his hand.

The ride was tense and silent, Daniel's stomach coiling tighter with every mile. Johnny seemed on edge as well, his hand flexing and unflexing against his thigh, like it had a mind of its own.

“We're here,” Daniel said, when they reached a large indent in the road. He turned inside and parked neatly in front of an iron-wrought gate.

Johnny looked around curiously once they got out of the car, but remained silent.

Daniel jammed the key in the lock, while Johnny stood behind him, a solid presence at his back. The smell of greenery hit his nostrils as soon as he swung the gate open.

They couldn't see anything, so Johnny trailed closely after him as he navigated through the darkness. He slowed down to a stop when he reached the front of Miyagi's old house. He was so nervous, and he had no idea how Johnny was going to react.

Anyway, it was too late for second thoughts now.

Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand and pulled down the switch in one swift movement. The area flooded with light.

Johnny's eyebrows flew up, and he breathed out, “Wow.”

The garden looked like it had been taken straight out of a Sukiya Living magazine. It was that beautiful. The grass was a luscious green color that melded perfectly with the deep brown paint that he'd used on all the fences and the patio. There was a stepping-stone path that ran all the way through the middle of the garden, with mid-sized rocks arranged on either side. On the far left, there was a large pond, lined with small shrubs and accent pieces. Johnny seemed transfixed, his lips slightly parted as he took in everything at once.

Daniel walked slowly to the entrance door of the dojo and stood in the center.

Johnny turned around. “What is -”

His voice cut off when his eyes landed on the sign above Daniel's head.

Johnny’s eyes snapped to him, and it was a wonder that he couldn't hear Daniel's heartbeat; it echoed in his rib-cage like a hammer on an anvil.

When it didn't seem like Johnny was going to say anything, Daniel licked his lips.

“Kyōkan Dojo,” he said, breathing slowly in and out. “It means... Dojo of Compassion.”

When he spoke again, his voice was so, so soft. “Johnny, I know why you closed down Cobra Kai. After everything you've been through - I know, okay? And I'm not trying to undermine that. But, a part of me thinks that you need this. _We_ need this.”

He paused, trying to gather his thoughts. The cool, sweet quiet of the garden was broken only by the distant murmur of water tumbling over rocks.

“If we open this dojo,” he said, his words gaining determination the longer he spoke. “We can do so much good. There are so many kids out there, who are searching for guidance, _real_ guidance. We could bring them here and teach them the true meaning of mercy and compassion. Honor and respect. School starts in three weeks. If we do this together, we can double the amount of students that we usually take on. And there's plenty of room so that we can train them without stepping on each other's toes -" he was rambling now "- we could even make a schedule if that's what you want. We could set different times for our lessons and -”

“Okay,” Johnny said simply.

Daniel tensed. “What?”

Johnny drew closer, his every step slow but determined. “Okay, I’ll open a dojo with you.”

He stopped right in front of Daniel. They stared at each other for a long time.

“Are you messing with me?” Daniel asked, because it couldn't be happening this way. It was too easy.

Johnny shook his head, and there was something soft about his gaze now.

“You really want to open a dojo with me?” Daniel asked, and he knew he needed to shut up, but his mouth wasn't cooperating. “Are you _really_ -”

“Daniel,” Johnny cut him off, and Daniel's jaw closed with a click. His eyes darted all over Daniel's face, and his voice dropped to a low rasp. “I want this.”

Those blue eyes bore into him. Johnny was so close that Daniel could feel his every breath like a fiery exhale against his skin.

He licked his lips, and Johnny’s eyes dropped to his mouth, tracing over him like a warm caress, before snapping back to his face. Daniel's body went hot, his senses tingling with anticipation. Suddenly, it felt like every nuance, every unspoken word that had been simmering on the burner for the past few months, was now boiling to the surface.

He didn't stop to think. He took a step forward, and pressed his lips against Johnny’s.

Johnny went very still. It was just a dry kiss, but after a few seconds, when Johnny still hadn't reacted, Daniel started to panic - _he was so stupid, what the hell was he doing -_ he drew back, ready to apologize, when suddenly Johnny caught him by the back of his neck and lined his body against his, swallowing Daniel’s gasp.

He felt electricity at every point of contact, the strong hand on his neck, where their chests connected. Another hand moved to his jaw and then Johnny's tongue was brushing against his lips, soft and tentative. Daniel's insides clenched, and his mouth gave in under him. The kiss was slow and deep, as they explored each other's mouth. The months of tension funneling in this single drawn-out moment that seemed to extend for eternity.

When Johnny released his lips, they were both panting lightly. Johnny's pupils were blown, making his blue eyes seem almost black. He passed a thumb over Daniel's cheek and tapped him twice.

“Come on, it’s getting late,” Johnny said, voice low and rough, and then he walked off to the car.

Daniel swayed on his feet, feeling dizzy and lightheaded. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been this turned on; his dick was a hard thick line, straining against the inseam of his jeans. He gave himself a few moments, before turning around and following Johnny.

When he got to the car, Johnny was already sitting in the passenger seat with his elbow on the window sill and a hand covering his mouth.

On the ride back, Daniel opened the windows so he could feel the cool wind blow against his hot cheeks. But it did nothing to douse the liquid fire that was pooling in his lower belly. The kiss had woken something raw and primal inside of him.

When he arrived to Johnny's apartment, he parked the car in the driveway and killed the engine. They sat silently for a while. He turned in his seat, his hand forming into a tight fist against his thigh. He wanted to say something to ease the tension, and Johnny looked like he wanted to say something too. His lips moved silently, but then he seemed to think better of it. He fumbled for the door handle and climbed out.

Daniel's heart sank, as he watched Johnny walk away without so much as a _goodbye_ or a _see you later_. He didn’t even glance over his shoulder; he just unlocked the door of his apartment and disappeared inside.

When the door snapped close, Daniel let out a curse and dropped his forehead against the wheel.

He didn't understand anything anymore. Had he misread the signs? Was Johnny freaking out? But Daniel had been so _sure_ that the feeling was mutual. Johnny had kissed him back, hadn't he?

The questions rushed over him, causing a familiar tightness to flare up in his chest. He took a deep breath, and then another.

He was on the verge of having a panic attack, when the sound of an opening door caught his attention. Daniel's head lifted just as Johnny appeared in the doorway again, a tall figure half hidden in the shadows, waiting.

After a while, when Daniel still hadn't moved, Johnny shifted his weight.

“Do you need a written invitation?” Johnny's husky voice carried across the driveway.

_Shit._

Daniel scrambled out of the car and shut the door behind him. He walked toward Johnny, his heart hammering in his chest.

He was breathing heavily by the time he arrived in front of him. Johnny didn't waste a second; he grabbed a fistful of Daniel's shirt and pulled him into a searing kiss. Daniel cupped Johnny's jaw and opened his mouth immediately. The kiss was hot and demanding, as they stumbled into the living room, chest to chest, and lips fused to one another. Johnny toed off his shoes, and Daniel blindly followed.

Suddenly, Johnny hooked a foot around his ankle, and Daniel let out a huff as he landed back-first onto the sofa. Johnny lay down on top of him, their bodies aligning and their legs tangling, before sealing his lips to Daniel's once again.

Johnny’s mouth was intoxicating, a perfect mix of soft and rough. He'd suck softly on Daniel's tongue and then just as fast tease him with the edge of his teeth. Daniel rocked his hips upward, moaning. There was no hiding their arousals anymore; the hard length of their dicks pressing against each other through the denim of their jeans. He slipped his hands under Johnny's shirt and roamed the wide expanse of his back before stroking down his sides, feeling every curve and every dip of his ribs.

He grunted in protest when Johnny's body lifted off him. But then a hand was undoing his buckle. His gut twisted in arousal, and he hurried to raise his hips and shove his jeans and boxers down his thighs. It wasn't long before Johnny settled back on top of him and long fingers wrapped around his dick.

Daniel bucked against him, letting out a strangled moan. The hand wasn't soft or delicate; it was calloused and rough, and it sent ripples of pleasure down Daniel's spine with every stroke. Johnny reclaimed his lips, swallowing his gasps. He knew exactly how to work him, alternating between long, hard strokes and short, fast ones. Every now and then, he'd swipe a thumb over the slit, causing Daniel's toes to curl in pleasure. Fuck, he didn't think he was going to _last_.

He wanted to get his hands on Johnny too. He slipped a hand between them and fumbled with his belt. Johnny released him and sat back a little, chest heaving. Daniel undid his jeans and pulled them down, but just as he was about to dip into his boxers, Johnny hunched forward and a hand clamped around his wrist. He dropped his head forward, and mouthed against Daniel's cheek, his breath coming out in fast pants.

Daniel stared at the ceiling, not understanding at first - but then realization hit him like a freight train.

“Johnny,” Daniel croaked, but Johnny didn't seem to hear him, the sound of his panting was loud against Daniel's cheek.

Daniel pushed him back by the shoulders, so he could get a good look at him. He was blinking hard and sweating with a look of absolute panic on his face -

“I’m sorry,” Daniel said. “I'm so so sorry -”

“No, no,” Johnny said in a ragged voice. He swallowed, and squeezed his eyes shut. “It’s fine, it’s just - don’t touch me there.”

“I’m sorry," he said quickly. "Yeah, of course.”

Johnny's head hung low between his extended arms, still panting, and Daniel started to rub his shoulders in small circles. At first, he wasn't sure if it helped, but after a few seconds, Johnny hummed and leaned into him. So Daniel continued the soothing movement with his hands, until the lines smoothed from Johnny’s face, and his breathing evened out.

When Daniel pulled Johnny back in for a kiss five minutes later, it lacked the passion from their first kiss, but it didn't hold any less meaning. Daniel poured in all of his emotions this time - understanding, grief, love - he gave everything that he had, and Johnny took it all, like a thirsty man in sight of water.

Daniel deepened the kiss until all the tension melted from Johnny’s body, and he was a warm, heavy weight on top of him. He could feel Johnny getting hard again, his hips stuttering in small aborted thrusts. He seemed like he was holding himself back, afraid of moving forward, afraid of what could happen.

So Daniel just - he let himself go.

He let Johnny take control of the kiss, becoming soft and pliant under his touch. At first, Johnny seemed unsure, slowing down the kiss and nipping at his lips in question. Daniel rubbed a thumb on his waist as reassurance. After a moment, Johnny dipped back in, and started kissing him again. As time wore on, he got more confident, low growl in his throat as he bit and licked into Daniel's mouth.

He placed his thumb in the hollow of Daniel's throat, and moved Daniel's head so that he could suck at his neck, a steady push and pull of his mouth that made Daniel shudder in pleasure.

“Hold on,” Johnny rasped, his voice thick with arousal.

He lifted the lower half of his body and did something with his other hand. Daniel couldn't see with the way Johnny was still sucking underneath his jaw. Then, Johnny's lips released him and he pressed his forehead against Daniel's, at the same time that he lowered his hips.

Daniel almost choked on his breath.

Johnny had pulled down his jeans and boxers, and was now pressing his hard length against Daniel's; it was a searing heat that made Daniel's lower belly contract in dizzying arousal. They stayed like that for a few seconds, their eyes locked on each other. A bead of sweat rolled down Johnny's forehead and onto Daniel's skin, and Daniel felt like he was on fire.

Then, Johnny nipped at the corner of his mouth and rolled his hips once. Daniel moaned, as pinpricks of heat unfurled down his spine. Johnny did it again, and again. Soon, he picked up a steady pace, causing waves of pleasure to wash over Daniel, from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.

Daniel hooked his ankles around Johnny, as best as he could with his jeans around his thighs, and buried his fingers into Johnny's hair. The friction was perfect, and the right side of painful, the crown of his dick rubbing against Johnny's hipbone with every thrust. They panted into each other’s mouths, going faster and harder, as sweat and precome gathered between them.

Soon, Daniel started to feel a pressure building inside of him, the telltale sign that started at the base of his spine. He was _so close._ He let go of Johnny's hair and scrambled for purchase on his waist. He was almost there - he opened his mouth, wanting to warn Johnny, but the orgasm hit him like a tsunami, his belly going rock hard, as strings of come splattered between them.

“Fuck,” Johnny moaned brokenly. He burrowed his face into Daniel's neck, panting against the hollow of his throat. The come made it easier for Johnny to slide against him. He continued to roll his hips in desperate little thrusts, until finally he snapped them once, twice and he came with a groan, his dick pulsing over and over against Daniel's skin.

When his dick gave a last twitch, Johnny collapsed on top of him. They were breathing heavily, as they wound down from their orgasms. Johnny moved his head and Daniel shivered when he mouthed at the junction where his neck met his shoulder, a hint of teeth grazing his sweat-dampened skin. Then, he raised his head and dipped his tongue in Daniel's mouth, kissing him slowly and languidly. Daniel felt like he was melting into the sofa, a bone-deep exhaustion settling over him. He never wanted to move again.

Johnny released him with a pop and sighed. He looked so relaxed, his eyes doey and sleepy, and his hair mussed from where Daniel had pulled it.

“So,” Johnny said, his lips slowly tugging into a smile. “Is this why you were stuck up my ass all through high-school?”

Daniel raised his eyebrows. His first reaction was to shove Johnny off the couch, nakedness be damned.

But instead, he ran his fingers through Johnny's hair and dragged him in for another kiss.

There was plenty of time to kick his ass later. They were opening a dojo together after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading! I hope you all enjoyed it.
> 
> I have another Lawrusso in the works, so stay tuned. :)


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